Principles of Mastery / Mastery Habits
Principles of Mastery / Mastery Habits
Get out of your head! - Get everything out of your head on your your planning system and/or calendar- otherwise you'll wake up at 3 in the morning remembering to "Call Mom" (like David Allen talks about).
Put actions in time - One you've got everything out of your head spend a little time each day, putting actions in time. When will you do this or that? And if you don't do it when you plan, put it back in your calendar again, at another time, until you get it completed.
Bite Sized Actions - Break your goals down into bite sized action steps or you will not move on them. If an action step is too comprehensive or vague, you won't move on it. If I list "Get a contractor's license", I will look at that on my list each day, and do nothing. If I list, "Get materials and reading together to start studying for my license", I still may never do anything. It's too big- too overwhelming. But if I list "Call Bill. Ask him where and how I get the reading materials for a contractor's license", I'll move on it. After getting the reading together I could perhaps list "Spend 30 minutes on Chapter 1." Now I'm getting somewhere, literally.
Put first things first - Do your best to get the big priorities complete before getting sucked into other secondary priorities.
Block time - One of the best ways to make sure the big stuff gets done is to "block" periods of time for it in your calendar- almost like making appointments with yourself. Of course this usually ends up being a soft science, but the closer you get to putting priority actions actually "in time" (in your calendar), the more likely you are to attend to them.
Stay present to lists & calendar - In order to keep your head clear, consistently review your action lists and calendar, otherwise your monkey brain will lose trust in you're commitment to manage action from your lists and start waking you up at 3AM every day. Stay present to your lists and calendar. Do all you can to avoid mental management.
3) Sharpen the Saw (Covey's 7th Habit). You are the saw!
🏁 What actions would fuel you the best?
🏁 What sharpens your skills, character and effectiveness?
🏁 Work these actions into your day.
Typical Saw Sharpeners
🏁 10 to 20+ minutes: Prayer, scriptures, meditation, vision board, affirmations, Mastery homework etc.
🏁 10 to 20+ minutes: Action lists, planning, calendar, blocking time.
🏁 20 to 30+ minutes: Exercise- which can (if inclined) combine with any of the above.
Your power hour (even if it’s spread throughout the day) is vital because our habits and character must become stronger than our negative tendencies.
Yes? No? Do? Don't? Respond? Delete? When? Where? How? Keep? D.I.? etc.
When an idea comes, move on it or park it in the right place. Don’t let emails build up. Don’t let your garage get cluttered, or your yard, your kitchen counter, or your mind.
Clutter is unmade decisions! Make them. Decide! Remember David Allen’s 2 minute rule. If it will take less than 2 minutes, do it.
One way to tell if you’re being decisive enough is noticing whether you’re lists are getting smaller (which can sometimes mean you lack vision), bigger and longer (which can mean you you’re not making enough decisions), or staying about the same size but ever changing in content (which usually means you’re on your “A game”).
All of the above leads to this: Do (and/or think) one thing, then the next. This keeps you in the present & therefore effective.
I’m going to take some poetic license here to illustrate this point. Please refer to Matthew Chapter 6 for the true grandeur of this idea of trust:
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin (can you relate to the word “spin” as you consider your life?). Take therefore no thought for the next task, for the next task shall take thought of itself. Sufficient unto this moment is the task thereof.
Real trust is to put your full attention into this moment- into this task, and this task only. It is the only way to live- to literally just do one thing and then the next. Mentally managing or worrying about the next thing, or the next 2 or 3 things, while you’re doing this one current thing, is to live in anxiousness and fear, not trust - not faith. Choose to trust.
How? Go back to #2
⏲ Manage from your lists.
⏲ Create blocks of time to drill deep on top projects.
⏲ Work through one action at a time, then the next.
Trust. Live in the present. Trust that, action by action, you will complete this project.
Notice, daily (with zero judgement) the difference between what you want and what you actually do.
This is best facilitated by:
a) Habit Tracking (even if it's just a 3x5 card on your fridge with what you consider to be your most important 3 or 4 habits) and/or
b) Simply asking yourself, "How did you do?"
“When performance is measured and reported (or at least noted), the rate of improvement accelerates" - Thomas S. Monson (parenthesis added)
Process (How to Face Your Life) At the end of every day, review your Mastery Habits posted on your bathroom mirror and/or fridge) or even better, in your **Habit Tracker (**Go to pathofpeace.org/habits for more on this).
Note: Your "Mastery Habits" are current, regular actions that lead to or support your most important goals i.e. exercise, praying with my spouse, spending at least 20 minutes on my lists, making at least 10 sales calls etc. - This list is different for everyone and will change from time to time.
Noticing how close or not close you are to key actions causes forward motion. Judging yourself for not doing what you decided to do is depressing and discouraging and worsens your performance. Don’t judge- Just notice, then recommit.
Good answers to the question “How Did You Do?”:
I’m getting closer
I nailed it
I know that with God all things are possible
I know I can do this
I am designed for success and happiness
The benefits of making this a habit are ________ (List benefits out loud, with excitement!) etc.
...which leads to last but not list...
What you appreciate, appreciates. What you underscore, stands out. What you focus on expands!
May you be blessed in living these Principles of Mastery every day!