In Pursuit of Mastery or Passion

To what extent do you pursue mastery more than you pursue passion? The first time I heard this question was in a 6-week program, Juicy Online Marketing Essentials Bootcamp, that Lisa Cherney and Michele PW offered.

In answering the question, I realized that for too many years I had been pursuing mastery more than pursuing my passion. In some ways, I still am. I am an avid learner and often easily get caught up in learning more, more and more on the road to mastering skills and “requirements” for being a small business owner.

Even more than learning and mastering skills, I love mastering my mindset and inspiring clients to master theirs. The benefits of mindset mastery are magnificent and manifold.

However, pursuing mastery can get in the way of pursuing passion. It has for me. I grew up believing that mastery and perfection were requirements for any undertaking. “Good enough” was merely acceptable.

My parents were high achievers— Mom as a life-long learner, Dad as a salesperson. Both were brilliant in their pursuits. Dad, who died 25 years ago, was passionate about his work. His love for it was a blessing. Mom, with her early dementia, is still passionate about learning, yet no longer cares too much about perfection. (On May 24, 2011, she received an award for excellence in biblical studies.) Now my stronger memories are of the passion my Dad had for his work and the passion my Mom still has for learning.

As my business coaching clients and I continue to evolve, we are being the best we can be, which does not necessarily equal mastery OR perfection. By no means however, do we shirk from improving and growing. We are doing so simply by pursuing our passion, mine being inspiring action and living with ease while getting more done, having more fun and making more profits.

We are achieving mastery through pursuing our passions.

Pursuit of mastery can be exhausting; pursuit of passion is exhilarating! The body is more fully alive and engaged pursuing passion. Pursuit of passion outlives pursuit of mastery. Profit from pursuing passion, and reach mastery as a result.