Chapter 5 - Mattering through Mastery

Summary

How can we tell that people are adding value? How do they add value to themselves? How do they help others? How do they achieve greatness in domains as varied as chess, music, sport, politics, business, physics, and literature? Excelling at friendship or parenting is part of interpersonal wellness. You want to be the best partner, friend, or parent that you can be. Shining in athletics is part of physical, occupational, and even psychological well-being. Leading social change is part of community wellness; your calling is to improve the social condition. Regardless of your particular focus, there are six investments you have to make. People who get better at anything invest in six things. We call them the six Ts: Transcendence: Going beyond the norm to pursue a passion and a purpose; Time: Dedicating thousands of hours; Thought: Concentrating and creating mental representations of the subject matter; Training: Practicing to reach stretch goals and acquire skills with a coach; Tenacity: Persevering and following through; and Trust: Believing in yourself, your mentors, and the process.