What I’ve been reading:
Mastery by George Leonard
There is one quote from “Zen in the Art of Archery” that I kept coming back to these last couple of months.
“The inward work, however, consists in his turning the man he is, and the self he feels himself and perpetually finds himself to be, into the raw material of a training and shaping whose end is mastery. In it, the artist and the human being meet in something higher.”
As I wrote previously when reviewing “Zen in the Art of Archery,” I didn’t find this book particularly useful when it comes to studying Zen Buddhism. Or at least not studying it thoroughly. However, it’s a powerful reminder, or a lesson, depending on the reader, of the importance of patience. Patience as a necessary component of mastery.
Rather than keep coming back to specific quotes from Zen in the Art of Archery and my notes on them, I decided to search for a book dedicated specifically to mastery.
Halfway through, Mastery by George Leonard gets my vote as a book worth reading for those who want to approach learning any skill with the right kind of mindset and attitude.
Speaking of mastery…
By know you probably know that I’ve written a book on mastering consistency, The Art of Showing Up.
This is a quick reminder that there is around 24 hours left for you to get free access to my Consistency and Goal-Setting workshop on 11. 29. by purchasing The Art of Showing Up.
Plus, you’ll get my collection of the most life-enhancing ideas from philosophy and psychology, The Gold Pill, for free.
What I’ve been listening to:
Muse - Resistance
Does it ever happen to you that you forget about one of your favorite songs and end up not listening to it for an extended period of time? And then, once you stumble upon it again, it’s like a great love being renewed. It happened to me recently.
“Resistance” by the English rock band Muse is one of my favorite songs of all time. It’s featured as the title track on their album “The Resistance,” which was heavily inspired by George Orwell’s 1984. The whole album is a masterpiece, but Resistance takes the number 1 spot for me. While other songs on the album focus more on sociopolitical messages, Resistance was mainly inspired by the love story between the main characters of 1984, Winston and Julia.
If you’ve read 1984, you will notice multiple references throughout the song. If you haven’t read 1984, you will enjoy one of the best rock songs of the 21st century. But you should also read 1984.
Love is our resistance.
What I’ve been thinking about:
How to become immune to failure
Instead of outcomes, focus on standards.
If I’m focused on reaching 3 million people with my writing in the next 30 days, I’m focusing on an outcome. Since it’s an ambitious outcome, I’m likely to fail. But even if I try to be more realistic, the fact is that the outcome will always be largely outside of my control.
But if I make it nonnegotiable to spend 3 hours writing and 2 hours researching every day for the next 30 days, I have set a standard for myself. If I meet my standard, I have won, whether I’ve reached 2 people or 2.9 million in the next 30 days.
*3 hours of writing plus 2 hours of research is a realistic standard for me. Whether you are approaching an intellectual or a physical project, I suggest setting a standard that is ambitious but that you also know you can meet. And, sometimes, the best standard you can set is giving it 100%. If you’re honest with yourself, you will know if you’ve met this standard or not.
Thank you for reading.
Stay strong, love life, and never feel sorry for yourself.
Free Resources:
My free ebook: The Lost Art of Reading
Paid Resources:
The Art of Showing Up: A Clear and Practical Method for Mastering Consistency
The Gold Pill: Timeless Ideas for a Life Worth Living
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