We like to be informed.
Know what’s going on.
Stay up-to-date.
Hobbies.
Interests.
Projects.
Anything that intrigues us.
That is useful for work.
Social relationships.
To improve our life.
Even when we add something to our life.
When we want to try something new.
The first thing we do is get as much information.
Feeling informed makes us feel in control.
It doesn’t make us wise.
We get addicted to information.
The more information we obtain, the more we want.
We don’t want to miss out (aka FOMO).
Before we know it we’re caught like a mouse in a trap.
Spend some time going through my social media feeds.
Spend some time reading the news.
Spend some time listening to podcasts or watching YouTube videos.
Because we want to be informed.
Because we want to stay informed.
Others will reinforce the idea.
“He’s really knowledgeable.”
Is he?
Are you?
Mastery does not come from knowing the latest developments.
Mastery comes from deep understanding and application – in any field.
As Bruce Lee once said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
It starts with information.
What comes after that shouldn’t be more information.
It should be building an understanding.
The ability to explain.
The ability to apply.
The more you apply, the more questions you’ll have.
Giving you direction to deepen your understanding.
Rinse-and-repeat.
As long as it makes you happy.
Once the happiness is gone, explore another area.
And go through the entire process again.
And again.
It’s by going beyond the superficial.
The ever-changing.
And into the depths.
That you can become proficient.
Become a master.
Become happy.