6 Ways to Shake It Up to Achieve Mastery

As a coaching solutions partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies, Terry Watkins says that the majority of her coaching sessions with clients focus on achieving mastery in some form. Some topics are very specific, such as delivering presentations or listening. Others are broad, such as being an effective leader, communicating, or managing emotions.

What exactly does it take to achieve mastery?

It begins with clarity. Identifying the needed behaviours and actions to move toward mastery.

Be intentional and focused. It takes concentrated brain power to go against your natural tendencies due to deep pathways created in the brain. You must be focused in your actions.

Take risks. Allow yourself to be uncomfortable as you move toward mastery. Be prepared to step outside of your comfort zone to experience new behaviours, actions, and interactions.

Embrace change. Keep your eye on the prize. In SLII® we teach that being new to a task or goal requires extra time and effort; but as you progress and gain mastery, it becomes easier and easier as new natural tendencies are formed.

Learn from setbacks. Recognise that you will experience setbacks and what even feels like failure at times. The key is to learn from these challenges and to see them as learning opportunities that lead to mastery.

Be open to learn. An open mind sparks the creation of new pathways in the brain. Be open to making changes when needed based on experiences. Mastery is a journey!

Watkins made a commitment to herself in 2018 to do what it takes to achieve mastery in public speaking. She was confident speaking one on one, but wanted to also be confident in front of a group. To achieve this she committed to several speaking opportunities that year. Yes, she was nervous, anxious, and excited. But Watkins wanted to achieve mastery for professional growth.

Repetition is the key. It will take time and dedication to achieve mastery. It will be uncomfortable. But she believed in herself!