There Is No Try

I have learned a lot about mastery over the years and in the process I have learned a lot about myself. Or perhaps it is the other way around — learning about myself taught me a lot about mastery. Chicken or egg, it does not matter, mastery and self-realization are intimately intertwined.

As a martial artist I have dedicated myself to mastery. For me it was all about the discipline, the effort. No effort, no matter how small, is ever wasted. I worked hard, stayed in great shape, and pushed myself to my limits. Time plus effort would equal mastery.

Ironically it was not until I was given the title of ‘master’ in the marital arts that I realized how little i had mastered or even understood of mastery. I realized that I had been accepting mediocrity by equating effort to accomplishment. Intent is an important starting point but that is all it is — a starting point. In order for intent to become desired result, a lot has to happen in between. I wasted many years, not because of what I was doing in between, but what I was not doing.

How many nights did I justify taking off because of other commitments or priorities? They were countless but I hardly noticed because I was giving myself too much credit for trying. When it comes to working towards mastery, either you are or you are not. There is no ‘try’. While effort and intent are commendable, intent has done as much harm as good for me over the years. The good it brings is obvious. Everything worth working towards begins with intent. The harm it brings is less noticeable and thus quite sinister. How much time have I lost by confusing effort with intent? Planning on doing something is not the same as actually doing it.

I now understand that mastery is only achieved through relentless focus. This means not just working toward mastery but, more importantly, eradicating mediocrity. It is easy to dismiss the two approaches as being merely a matter of quibbling over the semantics of saying the same thing, but I have learned to never underestimate the power of words. The words I use influence my perspective and my perspective is usually the only thing that stands between me and success.

“Good intentions never change anything. They only become a deeper and deeper rut.” - Joyce Meyer (b. 1943)