Journal Week 7

The principles of mastery, as outlined in the book by George Leonard, were demonstrated to me this week as I was watching the movie, “Spiderman: Homecoming.” Peter Parker was given a suit by Tony Stark but was left to his own devices to learn how to use it.  He swung on his web from building to building.  He saved a lost bike and gave some old lady directions.  He actually put himself in a good deal of danger.  It wasn’t until he was given instruction by Tony Stark that he found the amazing capabilities that were already built into his super suit. Even then, he was unpracticed at using the new technologies. It took him time, effort, and a number of embarrassing failures, to master the skills that he had the potential to achieve. This example is extremely simplified, but I found the similarities interesting. 

I disagreed with some of the ideas that Leonard outlined in his book but one personal story kept coming to mind.  My husband, David, has run two marathons.  He ran regularly to build up his endurance, but never consulted a trained instructor.  Two weeks before his first marathon, he developed bronchitis. Without the proper care and training, his condition worsened, yet he continued to train and ran the marathon.  His time was pretty good for a first-time runner, but he has never recovered from the illness.  He has suffered from asthma every day since that bout with bronchitis. The second marathon was very hard on his feet.  I truly believe that if he had been properly trained, he would have learned techniques that would have prevented his injuries.  But as things are, he suffered from foot pain for a year or more after the marathon and still has pain when on his feet for any length of time. It’s a stark reminder to me of the importance of getting proper instruction in the path to mastery.

I enjoyed learning from Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  I found his messages to be much more meaningful and interesting than Leonard’s book.  There are two habits that are more relevant to me than others.  The fact that they are at the beginning, make me realize that I have a long way to go on my way to success.  Habit number one is to be proactive.  Being quiet by nature, this is hard for me.  It is comfortable for me to stay the course day-by-day.  I recognize that being proactive will lead to many more opportunities for me to grow and to be an influence for good. 

The habit that I find myself thinking most about is habit number three, putting first things first.  As a mother, I easily get caught up in the pressing list of things to be done.  I’ve spent years running like a crazy lady just to stay caught up with the endless tasks of running a home and family without putting enough thought into what was really most important.  Now my children are getting older, my focus has been shifting to their growth and independence as well as my own well-being.  In the workplace, I have a job that can be busy at times.  I have found that I can add much more value by focusing on the non-urgent matters.  If I ignore them, little problems can grow to be big issues.  A couple of weeks ago, I put away stacks of old files and papers that had been piling up in my office. Many has confidential information so they needed to be handled with care. It was embarrassing to realize that they had been sitting in my space since last Christmas.  It was an example to me of how I had been letting important things slide when they weren’t pressing with urgency.  After that, I made a resolve to be more conscious of the important things that needed to be handled.  I have done a better job of being proactive with the more important tasks that had previously been pushed by the wayside.