Mastery & Qualities for Success 2013

As I was wading through my tweets, I was captured once again by one of my favorite tweeters Addicted to Success and an article  20-Powerful-Lessons-in-the-Art-of-Mastery-by-Robert-Greene .  In response I retweeted 'these lessons are not for the faint of heart'.  Greene pulls no punches and each of the 20 speaks powerfully to being humble, being a learner...

I was also drawn to the focus on the term 'mastery'.  People are often successful without mastering their crafts or skills - we see it all the time.  Mediocre people with mediocre abilities doing mediocre jobs are everywhere and making money...and are clearly seen as successful.  What then is the incentive for working to mastery?  What does that even mean?

mas·ter·y

noun

1. command or grasp, as of a subject: a mastery of Italian. 

2. superiority or victory: mastery over one's enemies. 

3. the act of mastering.

4. expert skill or knowledge.

5. the state of being master; power of command or control. 

(Dictionary.com)

Words like 'command, grasp, superiority, victory, expert, control' - those are powerful.  Those take us to a place beyond the usual - the ordinary.  When I think about the new year I think about both starting fresh and taking it to a level higher... I am inspired and am excited to strive beyond the ordinary - to excellence - to mastery.

If mastery then is our goal, where does the energy for mastery exist - where can we draw from to become masters - to differentiate ourselves from the ordinary - the average?  What will it take for us to be set apart?  To be excellent?

I will first look to my core...to who I am as a person.  As Greene walks us through his 20 Powerful Lessons, he challenges us with thoughtful insight and pointed tasks but waits until the end (19 & 20) to require us to look to our being. 

19 - Qualities that will help you succeed: Self-discipline, desire, persistence, focus, effort, patience, energy, obsessiveness, observance, confidence, trust in self, emotional commitment, humility, adaptability, boldness, openness.
20 - Qualities that hinder your success: Complacency, conservatism, dependency, impatience, grandiosity, inflexibility, distractibility, becoming egotistical, close-mindedness.

As I read lessons 19 & 20, I slipped quickly through the qualities that help you succeed - making note to be conscious of these and strive to be better and to do more...but I was stopped firmly in the moment as I read through those qualities that hinder success and saw a little of myself in each of those.  What a different place it is to think about our own qualities and characteristics that are barriers for our success.  What does that mean for me...for you?

For 2013 my wish for you...

That you will want to strive to mastery...to excellence.
That passion will spill into everything that you do.
That you will strive to be more than mediocre.
That things beyond money will create your vision for success.
That you will look to the qualities that hinder - that create barriers - for insight and truth.
That you find strength,peace and joy in both your professional and personal endeavors.

'Be the master of your will and a slave to your conscience...'     Paulo Coehlo