This week, we had the opportunity to read a few chapters from Mastery, by George Leonard. The concept of Chapter 6, Practice, particularly stood out to me, because it focused on the “goalless journey” rather than the goal-driven way of life our society is focused on. Masters don’t devote themselves to a task for the sake of getting better. They throw themselves into their passion because they love to practice, and they improve as a secondary factor. Personally, I resonate with this style of mastery.
In my own life, I love to write. I’m nearly finished with my first novel because I enjoy the process of practicing. I’ve seen multiple pieces of writing advice that suggest writers get better by practicing a little everyday. This style of writing focuses on accomplishing these small goals, and developing them into a regular habit to become a better writer. While this isn’t bad advice, I never related to it. Turning writing into a formula, so to speak, took the enjoyment out of practicing and discovering the path as I traveled it. I abandoned that goal-driven, end-game mindset and focused on the art of practice, and as a result, I’ve improved without intending to. I feel a lot more peaceful and relaxed in this sense.
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