Have been reading Robert Greene’s ‘Mastery’. It’s a very interesting and insightful book. Uses a system to categorise the steps involved in becoming a master of anything.
Definitely goes onto the ‘highly recommended’ list.
I’ve noticed in the last few days my brain is racing between a huge range of thoughts.
I haven’t done much differently in terms of daily routines. Not drinking more coffee than normal, and drinking less alcohol than I have in recent times.
The ability to focus on achieving one task without three others popping into my head has escaped me.
I’m taking note of the things that pop up in a notebook. It’s all mundane, normal stuff. Nothing groundbreaking.
Maybe it’s a sign that I have a lot of things to do in life in general (this is a long list), or maybe my brain has started to fire in different ways.
It could be the start of some new pathways, too. There could be a shiny thought among the mundane ones somewhere on this journey.
Keeping myself in listening mode right now is important. There will be a house move in the near future, and some travel towards the end of the year. A change in seasons is upon us as the sun comes out and the temparature rises.
Time to tune in and listen to what’s going on in my brain.
There has been a lot of upheaval in the last few weeks. This could be my brain’s way of resetting.
Choose to focus on what you can control.
This helps me to move on in life, to achieve things in spite of whatever is going on around me.
Being sucked into the drama of others does nothing to help us.
Distraction and anger. The pain of injustice. All the bad things that take us off our own path.
Put the focus on your own energy. How you spend your time. What you eat. What you do in your quiet time.
Tune out of the unnecessary stuff, tune into yourself.
It’s easy to whinge and moan about not having enough.
Money, time, friends, skills. These things don’t turn up by accident.
A plan will get you on the path to making good things happen.
They are never set in stone. They can change as life takes you in different directions. Reviewing plans is a part of the process of staying on the right track.
But you’ve gotta have one. Avoid it and the weeds will overtake the flowers in your metaphorical garden.
Your direction and purpose will be unclear.
Spend a few minutes working out what you’re going to do today and write it down. This is where it starts.
You know what you should be doing. But knowing and doing are two different things. Good routines bridge that gap.
Look around. You already have tools for success.
Maybe it’s books on your shelf. A notebook in your drawer. Exercise gear in storage.
Stop waiting for perfect conditions.
Pick three things that matter most to you. Make them as automatic as brushing your teeth. No thinking required. No mood checks. Just do them.
Set up spaces that make success easy.
A reading corner. A writing desk. A workout area.
When the space is ready, you’re more likely to show up.
Make it non-negotiable. Stop negotiating with yourself every day. Decide once, then follow through.
Treat your important routines like appointments you can’t break.
Now take action – pick one routine. Set up the space. Do it tomorrow morning. No excuses.
Small steps create big changes.
This applies to many things, however, the core of this premise is its applicability to your work, no matter what it is.
Be so good that your colleagues, clients and bosses have to take notice of the work you do.
It might be the way you do it. The level of quality that you are reaching every time you send an email, for example. The style of your communications. The way you listen.
Or it could be a technical proficiency. Something you’ve honed over many years of practice and repetition.
Whatever it is, work as hard as you can on making it a little better every day.
It is not wasted time. The effort will stand up under pressure.
Sometimes this stuff is drowned out by the policiticans that inhabit every workplace. The game-players. The ones who will burn anyone to get what they feel they deserve.
In general – and I have seen this play out over time – those with the skills become dependable, reliable, and essential to leaders when they’re making their picks.
I know which camp I’d rather be in.
William Bridges talks about transitions. I was given his book by a mentor 25 years ago. At the time, I was fumbling my way out of university and into a career, constantly complianing at how long it was taking to pan out.
The book was ‘The Way of Transition’. I have kept it close ever since. It contains clarity at times of stress, confusion or change.
When I first read the book, I remember telling friends I felt like I was in a washing machine – soak, suds and then spin. And the spin cycle was going on for a long, long time.
Sleep wasn’t good. My head was playing tricks on me. The basics of life were out of sync.
I learned that this is the neutral zone. The ‘waste land’ Bridges talks of where there is no life, no growth. Just vast, empty space.
It’s the place we go through when life happens and change is forced upon us.
It’s a harsh landscape. There are no signposts or pathways. A bit of gravel here and there if you’re lucky.
Not much is clear in any direction, and nothing you can do will change this.
All you can do is wait. Things will eventually offer themselves up. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, you’ll find your way back to Kansas, but it’s not the same Kansas you left.
I’ve had a change in my circumstances in the last couple of weeks. Reading and writing have helped me work my way through it in my mind.
They create a path to answers when you do both with a sense of purpose.
Both skills are worth the time and effort that it takes to see an improvement. They serve each other. Reading primes the writing pump.
Take a 30 to 60 minute reading block. Non-fiction works for me. Then step away for an hour. Make some food or get a workout done.
Then sit down and recall what you read and write about it. See what comes up.
It’s a handy double-act.
Self talk runs constantly in our heads. That endless internal chatter. The harsh commentary that weighs heavy on our conscience.
Understanding our values helps us feel good instead of wretched. We must own who we are and attach positive feelings to it.
This sounds simple but proves difficult in practice. Fear creeps in… Am I getting too big for my boots? Is it ok to be kind to myself?
This fear blinds us to what matters most.
Being kind to ourselves is where character development begins. It’s not optional, it’s essential.
From there, we must believe it and live it.
There is so much to think about.
Sadness at the stage of life I’m now at. The future I’m now facing.
Contrast that with a view of opportunity, clarity. A blank page.
Words to be written.
Answers that I don’t have to questions I haven’t even considered yet.
Come down to earth, away from the torment in my head. Take each day one at a time.
Stand up and face the new reality.
Don’t shy away, curl into a ball.
Stand up. Feel the strength inside me.
Those who are against me will fuel me to be better.
Stay curious. Seek out the new.
The past has gone, however sad that feels sometimes.
Move forwards.
Listened to an interview with the band and Howard Stern last night.
These guys are workers. The play their music hard, day after day. They hit the rehearsal room and work.
The things we see – the shows and the energy – are the peak of their powers. Day to day, these guys are trying new things. Making mistakes, ploughing through new stuff and finding the gold.
Flea said that when they go on stage for any show, they go at it as if there’s an axe murderer waiting for them the minute the show is over who’s going to kill them all.
They burn the boats. They crucify on stage, killing it. The crowd receives the sacrifice of their energy.
Anything you want to do well could benefit from the same approach.
Don’t complain that things aren’t working out for you unless you attack them in the same way.
My career journey has been an interesting one.
My mate Matt has got the best out of me here and dug a bit deeper than the usual stuff these videos contain.
Lots of good stuff in here if you’re on the path to a cyber career, or really any kind of new career and find yourself in transition.
It helps to know the things you’re not so good at. The things you should work on. The things you know you should deal with.
They have a tendency to get ‘lost in the fog.’ Piles of paper cover those lists of once important and urgent tasks you wanted to get done but never got around to.
It may not feel comfortable to write these things down. Seeing your weaknesses, your blind-spots, on the page can be challenging.
It’s in this type of awareness that opportunities for growth live.
They could be learning opportunities. Skills you could brush-up on, or new ways to pass the time.
But they be complete attitude shifts, or changes to ways of working. The recognition that you talk too much at certain times could, for example, open up a new line of thinking and action.
The benefits on a daily basis may not be immediately visible or measurable. Be consistent and they soon will be.
Find one thing to do today that might improve your life, and then go do it.
I’ve been mulling over a lot of stuff. The lists are overwhelming.
What one thing could I do today to make my life better? This is the question that I need to ask.
And it’s then all about the action. The motion, mentally or physically, of doing something about the answer.
Small is ok. We have to start somewhere.
Then do it everyday.
The journey to a better life starts on a road of consistent improvement.
Here’s a list I made and stuck on my wall when I was in my 20’s, a long time ago. I think it came from a book but I couldn’t tell you which one:
They still stand the test of time.
Some of these statements wash over us easily as hogwash when we’re in the eye of the storm, fighting daily fires, and getting mad at social media posts.
When we sit back, take a few deep breaths, and see the wood for the trees, the sense in these words hits hard.
From Lee Crutchley’s book. On about the 25th re-read.
What are you going to create this year?
Whatever it is, put your heart into it.
If not, it really isn’t worth the effort.
Showing up at a well-put-together conference and participating with a plan can be one of the best investments you can make in yourself.
You meet the right kind of people.
You learn something new.
You could make friends with like-minded people, who share the same interests as you.
I went to one this week with a plan to push the boundaries of introversion a little.
I thought about how I was going to approach the day and it worked out well.
I started a few conversations I would have ordinarily shied away from.
I stayed upbeat, enthusiastic, and open to anyone who wanted a chat.
I slowed down. Rather than tearing through the expo, I wandered around.
I saw more. I took it all in.
I’ve never been a conference fan. This experience, plus my attitude towards it, may have changed that.
No idea who said this but it always hits hard.
In peaceful times, we must get ready for hard times ahead.
Just like you pack an umbrella before it rains, it always pays to be prepared.
Make friends, work hard to keep them, save some money, and be a good person.
Don’t ever wait for trouble to show up. Get ready while things feel good.
So Trump and the republicans regain power.
Lots to ponder – and not all of it upbeat.
In the face of such a result for the world, it’s important to do what YOU need to do.
How can you help your community? Support those in your life who may be struggling, before or after the election.
What happened yesterday doesn’t have to change your ways. You have not changed fundamentally as a person because of this result.
You still have to do your thing, whatever that is.
Trump and his goons will lick their lips and make life a bit more tricky for those who oppose them.
But it’s worth remembering that the effect this will have on most of us right now is only a feeling.
Take action based on that feeling. Use it as a force for good.
If ever there was a time to prepare your own plans for the next few years, this is it.
Reset, set goals, and take action.
A quote from Kevin Garnett, ex-Celtics basketball leader, stood out in the Netflix show ‘Starting 5’:
“Stay humble, stay confident, stay on your craft.”
The humility keeps us grounded. We always move faster with our feet on the floor.
Confidence is the fuel our ambition needs to keep pushing forwards, no matter what we face.
I think the work on your craft, whatever that craft is, with the other two sprinkled into the mix, can be the difference between average and overachievement.
Ian Mountford 