This weeks learning has been amazing! I've shared many of the lessons learned with my older kids and my spouse. I was really inspired by my reading in the book, Mastery. In the book the author tells us that as we grow we have to develop skills for which there's no cooperative surrounding environment, skills for which we aren't as genetically predisposed to develop; and we are to find our own doors to mastery. He then lays out 5 keys to opening these doors. The second key, practice, really resonated with me. In order to master an art, skill, talent, or anything else we want to gain mastery of, we must practice! The author says that the master of any game is generally a mast of practice.

I think back at anything that I really mastered in my life and I realize that mastery came from practice. I realized all the accolades I received in high school football, All-Conference and player of the year, came because of the hours of practice that I put into being the best at what I did. On the flip side, I tried my hand at playing the piano. I showed great promise as I learned quickly the notes and keys, however, because of my lack of practice, my skill level plateaued and I really never was able to play like my mother thought I should.

I realize now how important practice is in developing any new skill. I want to learn the formulas and skills necessary to be very proficient in excel and I realize that it will take more than just a semester in college to gain the proficiency to use it in my business. Extra practice is indeed necessary as I become a master in Excel. Instead of wasting time with things that don't matter, I need to use that time to develop mastery in the skills that will help me build a future business.