Mastry

Life presents each of us with a myriad of possibilities; the potential paths we can proceed upon are
endless. Yet the goal is the same for all: the attainment of a full and vibrant life. Many fail to
cultivate a healthy dose of self-reliance, becoming passive victims of life instead of active sculptors
of meaning and seekers of significance.

When our passivity leads us to follow the collectively sanctioned life-paths, and when these paths
prove to stimulate quiet desperation and hopeless despair, we must seek out alternative paths and
systems of value.
One such alternative is the path of mastery. To proceed upon this life-path is to discover an activity,
craft, or subject which appeals to your interests, and through years of sustained and deliberate
effort, strive to become a master in your chosen endeavor.
The path of mastery is often overlooked, largely due to the age-old conviction that great
performers, in any field, are blessed with innate talent and natural capabilities, and that without
these inborn gifts would have been unable to attain the heights they have scaled.
The conviction that innate talent is required to rise to the top of any field, inhibits many from
choosing the path of mastery. For if the ability to achieve greatness is dependent on inborn talent,
either one has the potential for mastery or one does not; and no amount of persistence, passion, and
hard work can change the constraints imposed by ones nature.
This belief about human nature was challenged in 1993, when K. Anders Ericsson spawned a
proliferation of studies on the nature of expert performance, and to this day the general consensus
coincides with its conclusion: innate talent cannot account for the greatness attained by individuals
who have climbed to the top of their respective fields.
Inherited and innate abilities obviously do exist; some are naturally stronger, quicker, more
intelligent, creative, or resourceful than others. But contemporary research has shown that the
effects of natural talent are only apparent in the initial stages, when one first engages in a craft or
activity. Due to the existence of innate talents, some are able to pick up certain skills with greater
ease than others, and so become more proficient at a quicker rate.
But when one turns their attention from beginners to experts, modern research has shown that
innate talent plays little to no role in determining how high experts have climbed. Instead, the key
factor is the amount of time one has engaged in what is called deliberate practice. Deliberate
practice is specifically designed to push ones limits and capabilities to ever higher levels. It does
this by isolating and improving ones weaknesses through repetition, increasingly difficult
standards, and access to continuous feedback.
Deliberate practice, in the words of Ericsson, is not inherently enjoyable. It is often frustrating and
mentally demanding, not only because of the intense and sustained focus required, but because of
the hours day after day, and year after year that one must work on their craft to even come close
to approaching greatness.
The fact that deliberate practice is not always enjoyable may lead some to question why anyone
would choose the path of mastery. To help understand its appeal, we can delineate two general
ways in which it is possible to attain feelings of satisfaction and pleasure: one of them passive by
nature, the other active.
The passive way of obtaining satisfaction is the way of immediate gratification: for example, having
a couple drinks, eating junk food, or lounging around watching television. While the way of
immediate gratification requires little to no effort and involves minimal frustration, the sense of
satisfaction it instills in us is fleeting, and often negative in that it merely removes feelings of
anxiety and discomfort.
The active way of obtaining satisfaction entails frustration and requires not only hard work, but the
existence of obstacles and resistances to overcome. In deliberate practice, for example, one is forced
to confront ones limitations on a daily basis, resulting in frequent states of frustration. But as these
limitations are overcome through focused and sustained effort, one is rewarded with the feeling
that ones powers and abilities are increasing that mastery is being approached. This type of
satisfaction is not only more rewarding but also longer lasting than the fleeting satisfaction of
immediate gratification. As a species we are distinguished from our ancestors in our ability to
devote ourselves to the long-term goal of becoming a master in a chosen field, and through the
process of striving towards such a goal, sculpt our character and shape our destiny.