Mastery and Perfection

The pursuit of mastery is unforgiving and relentless and I suspect that is why it is a most rewarding and fulfilling undertaking. Apply mastery in one area and it will invariably permeate into other aspects of your life. It is the gift that keeps on giving.

Mastery is not something that can be negotiated or compromised. It is a binary proposition. Excuses have no effect in persuading mastery to give ground. Either you are on the path or you are not.

Perfection may sound similar to mastery but it is not the same thing. Mastery is a journey, perfection is a destination. So many students of mastery overlook that fact and find themselves pursuing something that is impossible. Perfection is a great motivator to keep one on the path but if success is only measured by the end result, failure will always prevail. Only in the pursuit of mastery will we ever approach perfection but perfection implies stasis which is impossible. Everything is changing, especially ourselves.

Perfection is a goal, not a state. Mastery is a journey, not a destination.

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi (1913 - 1970)