How to Become a Master in Your Field!

Do you want to achieve excellence in your chosen field of work or study? Do you want to be recognized as an expert and a leader by your peers and customers? Do you want to enjoy the benefits of being a master, such as higher income, greater satisfaction, and more opportunities?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are not alone. Many people aspire to become Masters in their fields, but few actually achieve it. Why is that? What does it take to become a Master? And how can you start your journey towards Mastery today?

In this blog post, I will share with you some insights and tips on how to become a Master in your field, based on the research and experience of successful Masters from various domains. I will also provide you with some practical exercises and resources that you can use to improve your skills and knowledge.

What qualifies me to speak on Mastery?

After reading Robert Greene’s book Mastery, I have actually realised that I have no real qualifications to speak on Mastery. In fact, I have realised that I have just begun the apprentice phase all over again, after being a personal trainer and business owner for ten years, I have changed career. Meaning I have had to swallow my pride and ego, coming from a field where I knew quite a lot, but probably not enough to be a true Master, to a field completely new. Even as I finished my three year Bachelor of Financial Planning degree last week, I have yet to even enter my apprenticeship phase as I only truly start to grasp the beginnings of what you need to know to be a Master Financial Planner.

Therefore, I may not have Mastered anything as of yet, but I feel prepared to talk to you about what I have learned so far throughout my life and through reading Robert Greene’s book on Mastery.

What is Mastery?

Mastery is the state of being highly skilled and knowledgeable in a specific field or domain. It is not just about having a lot of information or experience, but about being able to apply it effectively and creatively to solve problems, create value, and achieve goals.

Mastery is also not a fixed point or a destination, but a continuous process of learning and improvement. It is not something that you can achieve overnight or by following a simple formula, but something that requires dedication, passion, and perseverance.

Mastery is not limited to a few elite or gifted individuals, but something that anyone can pursue and attain, regardless of their background, education, or talent. Mastery is not a matter of luck or talent, but a matter of choice and effort.

Why is Mastery Important?

Mastery is important for several reasons. First, mastery can help you achieve your personal and professional goals, by giving you the confidence, competence, and credibility to perform at your best and deliver high-quality results.

Second, mastery can help you enjoy your work and life more, by giving you the satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy of doing something that you love and are good at. Mastery can also help you overcome challenges, cope with stress, and grow as a person.

Third, mastery can help you make a positive impact on the world, by giving you the ability, opportunity, and responsibility to contribute to your field, society, and humanity. Mastery can also help you inspire, influence, and mentor others who share your passion and vision.

How to Become a Master?

Becoming a master is not easy, but it is possible. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but there are some common principles and practices that can guide you along the way. Here are some of them:

1. Find Your Passion

The first step to becoming a master is to find your passion. Passion is the fuel that drives you to pursue mastery, and the source of your motivation, curiosity, and creativity. Passion is also the foundation of your identity, purpose, and vision as a master.

To find your passion, you need to explore your interests, values, and strengths, and discover what you love to do, what you care about, and what you are good at. You also need to experiment with different activities, domains, and fields, and see what sparks your enthusiasm, excitement, and joy.

Finding your passion may take some time and effort, but it is worth it. Once you find your passion, you will have a clear direction and a strong reason to pursue mastery.

2. Define Your Goals

The second step to becoming a master is to define your goals. Goals are the targets that you aim for, and the outcomes that you measure your progress and success by. Goals are also the drivers that push you to take action, and the feedback that helps you improve and adjust your strategies.

To define your goals, you need to be specific, realistic, and challenging. You need to set both short-term and long-term goals, and break them down into smaller and manageable steps. You also need to write them down, review them regularly, and celebrate your achievements.

Defining your goals may require some research and planning, but it is essential. When you have defined your goals, you will have a clear roadmap and a strong incentive to pursue mastery.

3. Learn from the Best

The third step to becoming a master is to learn from the best. Learning from the best means studying and emulating the masters who have already achieved excellence and success in your field or domain. Learning from the best also means seeking and accepting the guidance and feedback of mentors, coaches, and peers who can help you grow and improve.

To learn from the best, you need to be humble, curious, and open-minded. You need to read books, articles, and blogs, watch videos and podcasts, and attend courses and workshops that can teach you the skills and knowledge that you need. You also need to network and connect with people who can support you, challenge you, and inspire you.

Learning from the best may require some investment and effort, but it is invaluable. Upon learning from the best, you will have a solid foundation and a powerful advantage to pursue mastery.

4. Practice Deliberately

The fourth step to becoming a master is to practice deliberately. Practicing deliberately means engaging in focused and intentional activities that are designed to improve your performance and overcome your weaknesses. Practicing deliberately also means applying and testing your skills and knowledge in real-world situations and scenarios that are relevant and meaningful to your goals.

To practice deliberately, you need to be disciplined, persistent, and adaptable. You need to allocate time and resources to practice regularly and consistently, and follow a schedule and a routine that works for you. You also need to monitor and evaluate your results and feedback, and make changes and improvements as needed.

Practicing deliberately may require some sacrifice and discomfort, but it is crucial. Similar to losing weight or putting on muscle in fitness, or even when it comes to learning a new movement, you need to hours and hours of training to achieve your goal. Practising deliberately and consistently gaining feedback from others is the key to honing the skill.

5. Innovate and Create

The fifth step to becoming a master is to innovate and create. Innovating and creating means using your skills and knowledge to generate new and original ideas, products, or services that can add value and solve problems. Innovating and creating also means expressing and sharing your unique voice, style, and perspective with your audience and customers.

To innovate and create, you need to be creative, courageous, and generous. You need to experiment and explore different possibilities and alternatives, and take risks and learn from your failures. You also need to communicate and collaborate with others who can complement your strengths and weaknesses, and appreciate and respect your work.

Innovating and creating may require some inspiration and passion, but it is rewarding. Once you innovate and create, you will have a distinctive edge and a lasting impact to pursue mastery.

Becoming a master in your field is not a simple or easy task, but it is a worthwhile and fulfilling one. By following the steps and tips that I have shared with you in this blog post, you can start your journey towards mastery today, and enjoy the benefits and rewards of being a master tomorrow.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post, and found it useful and interesting. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please feel free to leave them below. I would love to hear from you and learn from you.

Until next time,

Take Back Control

What To Do When Feeling Burnt Out?

Burn out, its a term that has been used consistently over the last five years especially. According to the Queensland government, burn out is a state of complete mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion.

You may feel as if you are tired all of the time, or simple tasks that use to be easy actually feel extremely overwhelming. You may be feeling irritable and find yourself feeling frustrated at small things more often than not. You could even feel symptoms of anxiety and even depression due to being burnt out.

There are of course varying degrees of burn out, but sadly Australians in 2021 and beyond have been experiencing burn out more than most other countries according to a global study completed by Global Consultants McKinsey. In fact, 61% of Aussies were experiencing stages of burn out, which is the highest rate in any other country.

Now, we could blame plenty of outliers and situations that are causing said burn out, but today we want to focus on what you can do when you are feeling burnt out and what coping mechanisms you could put in place to help you in your every day to day life.

Burn Out Remedies -

1.Take it easy on yourself and stop expecting so much of yourself (You may not feel it, but to this point in time, you are truly doing an amazing job).

Admittedly, this is not so much a remedy, but just a reminder to be kind to oneself. You are doing the best you can, with the resources and skillset you have right now at this point in time. Therefore, putting more and more pressure on yourself is only going to cause more mistakes and that is when the burn out will increase significantly.

2. Take the breaks you are entitled to!

You cannot sustain long periods of constant work for months and years on end, your body and mind are actually not suited to consistently working on the one task or sitting at a desk for ten hours straight. You need to make sure that you are taking the break’s where you can, such as your lunch breaks, annual leave/holidays, sick days when you are feeling too ill to work. In Australia, we are known for always battling through, but when it gets to the point where you are battling through for years on end, your going to burn out sooner or later.

3. Go on little sabbaticals, or short-term retirements.

A weird one and not overly used in Australia, but something that is catching on a little bit more these days…

People are quitting their work and deciding to not work for 3-12 months at a time, to re-energise themselves and build up that battery that has been so depleted from working for years on end. Something that is truly worth thinking about if you can do it financially and have been burning the candle at both ends for years at a time.

4. Take up a hobby and go to the gym.

Of course, an ex-personal trainer/gym owner is going to tell me to go to the gym… I know that is what you are thinking, but truly, we all know the benefits of keeping fit and staying healthy. However, taking up a hobby and exercising your creative juices are also just as important. Now everyone has different tastes and hobbies, so if you do not have anything that you do outside of work that makes you feel good, please go out and try a few new things. You will definitely find that having an outlet is going to be a massive win against burn out.

5. Find Your WHY!

The last and probably the most important remedy to burn out comes down to simply understanding why you do what you do.

The great philosopher, Aristotle said, “Knowing thyself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

To know ones self and why you wake up each day is the simplest and most under-rated of all things that you can do to reduce burn out and increase your own success. However, it is the hardest one of them all, because most of us do not dedicate the time needed to actually understand YOU!

Finding your why and understanding yourself takes years of reflection on your values and priorities, working out your strengths and weaknesses, and even when you have done all of the work it is on going, because we are forever shifting and changing. Therefore, you have to dedicate your life to personal development and carve out time each week, or month at the very least, to STOP and REFLECT.

Burn out can have mental, physical and psychological ramifications that can be detrimental to your health and the health of your family. According to the stats, you are most likely going to be burnt out in one point in your life.

Hence, by being able to create coping mechanisms and understanding yourself, you will be able to catch it when you are starting to burn out and hopefully save yourself from going over the edge.

Truly I hope that this can help, even if one strategy above can help you get through a tough period at work or in your family life, that means that you are slightly better off and you can go out and make the world a slightly better place because of it!

Until next time,

Take Back Control

Do You Feel Life is Like a Juggling act?

The passed four weeks, I have not written a blog, because I will admit, life has been like a juggling act for me this past month. You have your main five or six balls that you keep juggling constantly, which is finance, relationships/family, education, work/career/business and health.

However, every now and again, those balls seem to increase in number, sometimes the work/career ball gets a whole heap heavier and people keep throwing in smaller work/career balls for you to juggle. Which means you have to drop something, because you can only juggle so much at one time.

Other times, and especially as you get older, your health ball will be the one dragging you down, and you have to drop the work/career/business ball, maybe you have to drop it and decide to never pick it back up again.

There are so many elements to our lives, especially in western society, where achievement is deemed to be the most important aspect of our lives, however, what if I told you that it is okay to drop a few balls here and there?

You may drop the work ball, or the health ball, or even the family/relationships ball for a short period of time, and that is okay. There is nothing wrong with dropping the ball, because no one is capable of juggling all of the balls at once for the rest of their lives. The key is to knowing what you value more than anything else, do you value family the most? Or do you value career/business?

And I don’t want you to feel bad about what you value the most either, because there is no right or wrong answer, some people will value family higher than even their own health. And others will value career or business above family…

There is nothing wrong with valuing one above the other, that is your choice, but you have to know that it is the right choice, based on how you feel, whether your partner and friends are okay with your values to stick around for the long haul, whether the job/business you are currently in accepts these values as your own priority.

Once you know what you value the most, the aim is not to drop the ball for too long. If work gets too much and you have to spend more time at work, but your main values are health and family, then you have to make sure that you don’t get stuck in the rut of continuing to juggle the extra career/business balls in perpetuity. You have to make a forced decision to drop a few career balls and pick up your health or family balls again.

Multiple factors and multiple balls make for really difficult decisions, day in and day out.

Hence why I wanted to write this post, to help you (and myself, let’s be honest) to be okay with dropping the ball every now and again.

But, and this is the major problem we have in Western society especially, we have an expectation that is placed on us from work, from partner’s, friends and family…

And some of this expectation is actually made up in our own heads, where we think we are expected to act in a certain way, it is simple psychology, as we are socially oriented to act in a certain way to “fit-in” and be accepted amongst our peers.

However, what if I told you, that the expectation you think is put on you, is actually a lot less than you think? In some cases, it is completely a figment of your imagination.

Of course, there are some expectations, which have already been communicated, and these are the hard truth’s, but most of the time, we create pressure on ourselves to be everything and do everything, when really you just need to meet your own standards and expectations.

One of the key statements that I remember to this day about choosing which balls to pick up and which balls to drop comes from the great Gary Vaynerchuk and multiple others before him…

“When you die, who is going to remember you for more than one day? Your manager/boss whom barely knows you outside of work? The masses of people on social media? Or your family that you interact with on a daily basis?”

Even celebrities and monarchs need to really think about this question, because most people forget about you once you have passed away and after the funeral, they have their own lives to get on with, their own struggles. You only need to think of the great Kobe Bryant, who sadly passed away in early 2021 from a freak helicopter accident, or even more recent, the queen of Britain herself. Do you think of these two truly inspirational and amazing people on a daily basis?

Probably not, and they had such far reaching impact on so many lives, much more than your own impact most likely. Yet still, you or I never really think of these amazing people, not unless we are prompted by something such as this post.

When you realise that humanity as a species, as much as you love to think we are all doing the right thing by each other, which for the most part is true, are inherently selfish, the better it will be to help you choose which balls to pick up. We focus on our own lives, our own thoughts and we perceive things directly from our own frame of reference and thoughts.

Therefore, everything you do here on this Earth is only going to be thought about very briefly after your passing, hence why you need to really think about the ones who will truly remember you, which are the ones you have an impact on a daily basis for multiple years, where you are irreplaceable. Hence, I find it really easy to be able to choose which balls to pick up once they have been dropped and you can too once you get your head around this concept.

Another strategy you can use is the power of reflection, truly it is probably the most powerful thing anyone can do, especially when you get busy and you are feeling overwhelmed by life. Being able to reflect on what you are doing, and which balls you are dropping or juggling currently is the key to understanding where you are at and where you want to go with life.

Without understanding the past or present, you cannot truly look forward to the future. Now some of you may think, we don’t need to worry about the future, and that is fine, you don’t need to worry about the future… Until the future gets here of course, and then what?

The key to being able to pick up the right balls and juggling them constantly, whilst you have kids wanting your attention, a boss hounding you for work to be complete now, or assessments that are due next week, is to know what you value and to communicate this with the people who are constantly wanting your attention/energy.

The great Ron Malhotra once said to me, when I asked him about how he kept juggling all the ball’s of life, “The key is knowing when to drop what ball, and when you have been neglecting it for too long, to drop another and pick that one back up.”

You are the only one who can choose to drop and pick up the balls, therefore I hope you can use what I have written to help you choose what balls to pick up at and at what time.

The rest is up to you,

Until next time,

Take Back Control