Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Challenging training














Becoming a master is a growth-process, enduring on this level is an art!

Secret 2: working like a master!
I am sure that you have noticed before how, after someone had his arm in plaster for some weeks, his arm would have become quite weak and thin. The reason obviously lies in the fact that he could not ‘train’ his arm for all that time. The second secret concerning ‘mastery’ covers exactly this phenomenon. When we are talking about ‘training’ and your ‘profession’ than we see 3 standard scenarios...

Scenario 1: no training = getting weak
In this case you basically are resting on your reputation and your professionalism. Without too much effort you are still able to make your work ‘work’. The real consequence however is that you will quickly start regressing towards mediocrity.

Scenario 2: training = staying on your level
On a daily basis you are investing quality in your work. You are preparing projects very professionally. You are mentally present, focussed. You make sure to invest in regular training, in order to gain (for at least 6 times a year) new important input. You enjoy your work, and you are producing on at your level!

Scenario 3: growing towards the next level
In this scenario you consciously are choosing for challenging projects, you are pushed to learn new things, and to get your professionalism on a new level. Generally you will need others in such a case. Others that coach you along this development, and can give you constructive feedback. Still, such challenging training does not fit into every life-situation. You need the time, the space and the energy for it to make sure that the rest of ‘your life’ will not suffer needlessly under the pressure of such a training-program.

Personally I think that ‘working like a master’ generally means to find a strong balance between the last two scenarios. To be able to deploy your talents with joy and discipline, and with doing so really contributing to your environment. To, simultaneously, enjoy great inner motivation is obviously a nice bonus, but it is not always really necessary to give life a meaning.

An amazing book in regard to the latter is ‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Gladwell...

I whis you all succes with discovering what challenging training means to you!
Paul Donders

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