THE POWER OF MASTERING THE BASICS
ABSTRACT
"To achieve success and obtain a specific result you must strategically plan how to chart your course. This plan is a directional compass that will assist you in achieving your goal." (Warren Andrew Pinder)
The Power of Mastering the Basics
Mastering the basics is critical to success. Whether you're talking about playing chess, golf, or investing in real estate, a good foundation is crucial to accomplishment. While getting lost in the details can seem easy, stick to the basics, and you'll win big.
Of course, real experts in any field can do some incredible things that the beginner cannot. But the real difference between a pro and a novice is that the expert is much better and more effective at the basic tasks fundamental to that skill.
Let's look at three simple ideas about how to master the basics in your field of choice. Real success will be sure to follow.
1. Expect mastery. You'll rarely exceed your objectives, so expect a lot from yourself. For example, if you're taking up golf, tell yourself that you will someday be one of the world's greatest golfers. While this may or may not be accurate, by adopting this approach, you remove any self-imposed psychological ceiling on your ultimate level of achievement.
- Another approach is to imagine that you will eventually have to teach this skill to someone else. So you'll need to know what you're doing so thoroughly that you can explain it to anyone.
2. Think about the long-term. Many people want to rush through the basics to get to the more interesting information. Or perhaps they believe that the more advanced work is where the real power lies. But you can have huge successes even with mastery of the basics. And to excel at the developed work, you must first know where to start.
- For example, if you don't understand the basics of chess, you'll never have the foundation to support understanding the game's more delicate nuances. Likewise, if you don't master algebra, how will you ever be able to master calculus?
- Professional golfers spend most of their off-season doing nothing but perfecting the basics. They have a coach who works with them on their golf swing. That's primarily all they do. How many times have they already swung a club in their lives?
- • Also, remember that the guy instructing the professional golfer can't play golf as well as the professional he's teaching! He knows how the swing works, which is the foundation of all the advanced skills.
3. Avoid getting fancy. Always question the assumption that the solution to your current challenge is complicated. Instead, ask yourself if the problem results from a shortcoming in one or more basic skills. Rarely is some fancy technique going to be the answer?
- If you can't boil an egg well, a space-age pot doesn't help you become a better chef. Likewise, if you can't strike a golf ball well, a $2,000 set of new golf clubs isn't going to do much to improve your golf game.
Thoroughly mastering the basics will take time, but it's time that's well spent. There are no shortcuts to real success. Adding a new skill to your repertoire is much easier if you first expect an excellent grasp of foundational skills. Time devoted to the basics is the key to long-lasting progress and success.