I came across this inspirational account of an American writer who had a tough upbringing, but he decided to focus on something every day until he had mastered it and it changed his life. Jack London chose to focus on writing every day until he mastered the art of writing.
Born in 1876, Jack London is an American novelist who penned the poignant classics, The Call of the Wild and White Fang. He was put up for adoption by his biological mother who had attempted suicide at the time. She shot herself after news of the pregnancy after William Chaney, her husband at the time, demanded that she have an abortion.
At the age of 21 in 1897, while in attendance at the University of California in Berkley, London wrote to his father, Chaney, who denied that he was the boy’s dad, instead sending him a letter that chastised him and his biological mother.
Completely distraught by this, London quit Berkley and moved to the Klondike to live in the wilderness for a year.
Upon returning, he committed to mastering the art of writing, deciding to write at least 1,000 words per day no matter what the situation. Realizing that mastery would come only through this method, he followed through with his goals, working from sunup until sundown, every single day without fail.
Yet, with every piece that he would mail to a newspaper or magazine, with the enthusiasm that he would get published, failure after failure returned in the envelopes that were sent back. No one was willing to publish his writing. After some time, he tired of the feeling of failure and rejection.
However, by 1899, after the rise of lower-priced technologies for printing presses that resulted in a boom for magazines, his first story had been published. In that year, he had earned a respectable $2,500 through his writing, equivalent to about $70,000 in today’s dollars when accounting for inflation.
Yet, London suffered through more than 50 separate rejections during a 5-month period of sending out his manuscripts and writing to various publishers. Just a few short years later, in 1903, at the age of 27-years old, London’s celebrated novel, The Call of the Wild had been published, and he had reached a dizzying height of success in his career.
Consistent practice
Mastery through consistency means becoming really good at something by practising and improving regularly. When you consistently work on developing your skills and knowledge in a specific area, you can reach a high level of expertise and mastery in that field.
It’s about making efforts consistently, which leads to significant progress and excellence in that particular domain. It is the idea that regular, deliberate, and focused efforts over time lead to expertise and excellence in a specific field. Here’s how mastery through consistency works:
Repetition and Practice: Consistent practice and repetition are fundamental to mastery. Regularly engaging in deliberate practice allows you to refine your skills, learn from mistakes, and gradually improve your performance.
Skill Development: Consistency enables you to develop new skills and build upon existing ones. As you practice consistently, you deepen your understanding of the subject matter and gain more insights into its complexities.
Incremental Improvement: Mastery is rarely achieved overnight. It’s a journey of continuous improvement. Consistency allows you to make incremental progress, gradually moving closer to your full potential.
Building Strong Foundations: Consistent practice helps build strong foundations. Just like building a sturdy structure, a solid knowledge base and skill set are essential for reaching mastery.
Adapting and Learning: Consistent practice encourages a growth mindset, fostering adaptability and a willingness to learn from both successes and failures.
Efficiency and Effectiveness: With consistent practice, you become more efficient and effective in your actions, optimizing your efforts and achieving more with less.
Self-Discipline and Commitment: Achieving mastery requires self-discipline and a strong commitment to regular practice. Consistency cultivates these traits, making them more ingrained in your personality.
Confidence and Belief: As you see progress and improvement through consistency, your confidence in your abilities grows, reinforcing the belief that you can master the subject.
Expertise and Recognition: Mastery through consistency sets you apart as an expert in your field. Your consistent dedication and exceptional skills are recognized and respected by others.
Whether it’s in sports, arts, academics, or any other area, mastery through consistency is a proven path to achieving greatness. The dedication and effort you put into consistent practice ultimately pave the way for reaching your highest potential and becoming a true master in your chosen field.
Basketball was my thing
When I think back on my basketball career the key to my success was the consistency of practice day in and day out. I built a basketball stand in my garden and I would practice late into the night dreaming that one day I would be playing for England.
It was this relentless consistency which resulted in my dreams coming true. There are no shortcuts to success. You have to pay the price for success. However, there is always a price to pay for failure.
The price you pay for success is the pain of hard work and effort and the price you pay for failure is the pain of disappointment and regret.
Consistency is the key
Consistency is super important for success. It means doing things regularly and sticking to your plans. When you are consistent, you make progress over time and build good habits that help you reach your goals. It’s like taking small steps every day that lead to big achievements.
Being reliable and keeping your promises to yourself and others also builds trust and respect. So, if you want to be successful, stay consistent and keep moving forward, even when things get tough.
Thoughts for the week
Well, that’s it for this week, have a wonderful weekend and keep believing in yourself.
Warm regards
John
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