Insights from the book Mastery by George Leonard
Ang Mastery ay isang mahiwagang proseso through which something that initially seems difficult or even impossible (tulad ng public speaking, code writing, or shooting a basketball) ay nagiging madali at pleasurable through diligent, patient, and long‐term practice.
Ang keyword ay “patient” dahil ang landas tungo sa mastery involves long plateaus of work with little signs of progress. Pagkatapos ay biglang something clicks and what previously took effort to perform becomes automatic and effortless.
“The cognitive and effort systems ‘click into’ the habitual system and reprogram it…This habitual system makes it possible for you to do things—return a scorching tennis serve, play a guitar chord, ask directions in a new language—without worrying just how you do them.”
George Leonard
Ang susi to truly mastering something, ito man ay isang sport, art, hobby, or profession, is to embrace the longplateaus between spurts of progress (when something ‘clicks’) at labanan ang landas ng the Dabbler, the Obsessive,or the Hacker.
- The Dabbler starts a new hobby, sport, or job with enthusiasm ngunit mabilis na nawawalan ng interest when they experience a plateau. CarlJung refers to the Dabbler as “the eternal child.”
- The Obsessive dislikes a plateau as much as the Dabbler, ngunit sa halip na mawalan ng interest, they redouble their efforts and exhaustthemselves bago tuluyang sumuko. Ito ang executive na nagtatrabaho ng 100‐hour workweeks until they hate their job and burnout.
- When the Hacker reaches a plateau, kontento na sila. The Hacker is like someone who mines for gold at humihinto sa sandaling makakita sila nggold nugget, whereas the master continues digging and collects several gold nuggets.
If you can answer “yes” sa sumusunod na apat na “Mastery questions” sa katapusan ng bawat linggo, you will remain on the path to mastery and avoid the unsatisfying path of the Dabbler, the Obsessive, and the Hacker:
Am I surrendering to instruction?
Pahintulutan ang iyong sarili na mahubog ng mga pananaw ng mga taong nauna sa iyo without any preconceived notions. If you go into an endeavor with a bigego and scoff at best practices, hindi ka kailanman lalago.
“The courage of a master is measured by his or her willingness to surrender to a teacher… Even those who will someday overthrow conventional ways of thinking or doing need to know what it is they are overthrowing.”
Sinabi ni Leonard,
Kapag naghahanap ng teacher, ask for recommendations and interview a handful of instructors o magbasa ng isang dosenang instructional books. During your search, isaisip ang mga sumusunod na tanong:
- Natuto ba ang instructor na ito sa isang master?
- Mayroon ba silang kahanga-hangang resume of successful students?
- Sila ba ay mabait, empathetic and patient with beginners?
- Are they likely to provide a balance of positive and negative feedback? UCLA Coach John Wooden, marahil ang greatest basketball coach of all time, ay nagsumikap na mapanatili ang isang 50/50 ratio of reinforcement and correction.
Am I practicing intentionally?
The more vividly you imagine yourself executing movements in your next practice, the more enthusiasm you’ll have to practice. Clarity creates energy. Once in practice, be fully present and conscious of your movements.
“Pumping a weight one time with full consciousness is worth ten that lack mental awareness.”
As Arnold Schwarzenegger said
Do I love to practice?
When you love to practice, hindi mo kailangang mag-alala about consistently practicing dahil palagi kang naglalaan ng oras to practice. Missing an opportunity to practice is like missing a meal.
Sa mga salita ng isang master painter in the book who paints in her studio four hours a day, five days a week, “It’s the routine itself that feeds me. If I didn’t do it, I’d be betraying the essential me.”
Fall in love with practice sa pamamagitan ng pagsisimula ng bawat practice by going through the motions until you nolonger feel tired or restless from the day. Then settle in and find a trance‐like rhythm where you lose track of time and the number of repetitions.
Get to a point near the end of practice where you wish you could keep practicing all day, ngunit pinili mong huminto and look forward to the next practice.
Am I exploring the edge?
You explore the edge in your craft by seeking out resistance and negotiating with it. Ang isang master ultra‐marathonrunner will explore the edge by staying in a heart rate zone that feels “slightly difficult,” kaya binibigyan nila nag kanilang sarili the best chance to finish a race and run a personal best.
Tulad ng master ultra‐marathon runner, sikaping manatili sa isang “slightly difficult” zone.
Abutin ang zone na iyon sa pamamagitan ng volunteering for performances, routinely taking tests, and putting yourself in competitions where you feel pressure. Malalaman mong you are exploring the edge if for every two steps forward, you take one step back. Loss and reflection are essential to mastery.
“Perhaps we’ll never know how much a human being can truly achieve, until we realize that the ultimate reward is nota gold medal but the path itself.”
– George Leonard
Author: The Pinoy Engineer
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