Notes on Mastery by Robert Greene

I just finished reading Mastery by Robert Greene, and I thought it was a really awesome demystification of the processes of self-discovery, practice, apprenticeship, and creativity. I had read his other books (The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, and The 50th Law), which I also enjoyed. In this book, he debunks the myth of the genius inspired by the heavens and shows how some of the most masterful individuals throughout the ages and alive today got their biggest breaks as a result of extremely hard work, dedication, and allowing themselves the freedom to fail and do things in a unique way.

What made Mastery very interesting was the way the author blended stories of many different types of "masters" throughout history (Darwin, Edison, Franklin, Goethe, Mozart, Einstein, and many contemporary masters as well) and drew out the most relevant lessons. It was neat to read some many mini-biographies and hear about how these were all normal guys who put in extra-normal hours to the crafts they wanted to pursue.

Some of the core lessons I took away from the book were as follows:

• Focus on reality and rationality.
• Develop skills like a craftsman. These take years to perfect, and short cuts don't work.
• Ignore and push out others' voices and pressure, and pay more attention to your own voice and calling.
• Reality-test your ideas quickly. Prototype. Think with your hands.
• Sketch and use real, physical tools, not technology, to aid thinking.
• Cultivate a beginner's mind. Always maintain some dissatisfaction and drive to improve and learn something new.
• Develop social intelligence. Pay attention to social dynamics.
• Read and study broadly. Draw connections and focus on the relationships between ideas and fields.

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