| Copyright (c) 2008 Theresa Gale | | | | deal with their issue now, I can get back to my |
| Old habits die hard, as the saying goes. And one | | | | work." The reality is that by addressing these |
| habit that most of us shareand find difficult to | | | | issues immediately he unconsciously encourages |
| both notice and shakeis our tendency to run "on | | | | people to continually bring their issues to himthus |
| automatic." Unconscious patterns of thinking, | | | | keeping him from doing his work. The result is |
| feeling, and behaving are often the silent | | | | that he ends up staying late into the night working |
| saboteurs of self mastery in our personal and | | | | just to stay on top of his task list. Awareness |
| professional lives. | | | | helps us discover the "why" behind what we do. |
| For example, a financial advisor is very clear that | | | | Once we understand the "why," we are ready for |
| she must spend 60% of her day on the phone | | | | the next stepacceptance. 3. ACCEPTANCE |
| with clients if she is to retain their business and | | | | Knowing why we do what we do leads us to |
| get necessary referrals. Yet she is continually | | | | realize that we have not been "in control" but |
| attracted to working on less important | | | | rather on automatic, acting from habit, faulty |
| administrative tasks. A president of a remodeling | | | | beliefs, and/or assumptions. This realization may |
| company has a very long list of projects but is | | | | be a difficult one to swallow, yet accepting what |
| easily distracted when employee and client issues | | | | "is" right now is the launching pad toward self |
| arise, keeping him from finishing any of his | | | | mastery. Acceptance without self-critical |
| projects. His list stays long, his employees stay | | | | judgments, knowing that we have always done |
| dependent, and he is continually frustrated. A | | | | the very best we could, is important and opens |
| pediatrician who prides herself on being in control | | | | the door to the next step of mastery. |
| of her life now finds her newly established | | | | 4. OBJECTIVITY Now that you're observing and |
| practice growing so fast that both she and her | | | | aware and able to understand and accept "why" |
| practice are out of control. She's overwhelmed | | | | you do what you do, you can step back and |
| and unsure. Her pride has been punctured and | | | | objectively assess a situation or interaction. Is |
| now she is angry that she has lost control of | | | | your approachformulated by your habitual |
| managing herself, her business, and her staff. | | | | patterns of thinking, feeling, and |
| Until we uncover and recognize patterns that | | | | behavingproducing the desired results? Or is it |
| have become habitual we cannot achieve | | | | time to choose a different course of action? In |
| masterythat state of being where actions are | | | | the instance of the president of the remodeling |
| guided by awareness and intention rather than | | | | company, he was no longer willing to work hours |
| habit and reaction. Many times, we automatically | | | | into the night and realized it was time to choose a |
| act before we apply any awareness to situations, | | | | different strategy. |
| and then we regret our actions or are unaware | | | | 5. FREEDOM TO CHOOSE You have arrived at |
| of their impact on others and ourselves. The key | | | | the crossroads. When you're on automatic, there |
| to mastery is the level of consciousness we bring | | | | is no freedom of choice. But now you recognize |
| to our thoughts, emotions, our physical presence, | | | | the unconscious habits that drive youand you |
| and our actions. Developing this level of | | | | can consciously choose your behavior and |
| awareness is a skill that can and must be learned | | | | response. For the financial advisor mentioned |
| if we are to achieve any level of mastery within | | | | previously, this new-found freedom of choice |
| desired areas of our personal and professional life. | | | | may empower him to establish times when he will |
| As we move toward mastery, the results are | | | | be available for administrative tasks. The |
| compelling, rewarding, and powerful. At each of | | | | pediatrician may establish clearly defined roles and |
| the seven levels of the mastery model, new | | | | responsibilities for her staff, stop doing |
| discoveries are made that can positively impact | | | | administrative tasks that her staff should be |
| how we feel about ourselves and the people | | | | doing, hold her staff accountable for the results, |
| around us and how we react to and shape certain | | | | and let go of the belief that she has to |
| situations. For business leaders in particular, self | | | | micro-manage in order to stay in control. She |
| mastery is a valuable tool that shapes results, | | | | may choose instead to meet weekly with staff |
| daily quality-of-life issues, and helps gain skills | | | | members and review a series of management |
| necessary to become the leaders that will take us | | | | reports that inform her of the state of the |
| and our organizations into a bright and visionary | | | | business. |
| future. | | | | 6. Congruent ACTION Choosing the next right |
| KEY ELEMENTS OF THE MASTERY MODEL | | | | action and doing it are two different animals. |
| 1. OBSERVATION The journey toward | | | | Intellectually we often know the right action to |
| self-mastery begins with observing a situation or | | | | take, but old beliefs may inhibit us from doing |
| interaction. Keep in mind that observation is a | | | | them. A sales person knows intellectually that right |
| learned skill that gets easier and refined with | | | | action for her is to ask the client for a referral, |
| practice. You may find at first that your | | | | but when she gets in front of the client, she can't |
| observations occur at the end of the day as you | | | | get the words out of her mouth. Congruent |
| reflect upon situations you encountered. Other | | | | action means that you choose to act in a certain |
| observations may come in the form of feedback | | | | way and you do it! As you master certain skills, |
| from your colleagues. As you become more | | | | this way of being becomes effortless and |
| comfortable with this skill, you will find yourself | | | | automatic. |
| observing more "in the moment" rather than after | | | | 7. MASTERY Congratulations! You've crossed the |
| the fact. | | | | finish line. But remembermastery is an ongoing |
| 2. AWARENESS Once you begin observing, you | | | | process, a continuous practice that is available to |
| can tune into your habitual patterns of thinking, | | | | all yet utilized effectively by few. As you continue |
| feeling, and behaving and their influence over your | | | | to develop and refine the skills, behaviors, and |
| emotions and actions. For example, the president | | | | attitudes that reinforce mastery, you will achieve |
| of the remodeling company mentioned earlier | | | | your desired results and recognize the positive, |
| realizes his belief that other people's issues are | | | | productive impact on those around you. |
| more important than his own. He thinks "If I just | | | | |