When I hear the word “mastery” I think of absolute perfection–knowing a subject or a skill so well that there is no one better. That is not really what the word means, however, and mistaking mastery for perfection can keep many of us from realizing that we really are leaders in our field or having the confidence or esteem to push our home businesses to the next level.
Recently, I was talking with a colleague and the subject of “mastery” came up. I expressed that there were certain areas of my business that I would just never be perfect at it and therefore, I would never truly achieve mastery. He looked puzzled and asked, “What does perfection have to do with being really great at something?” He helped me to see that I was letting my confidence and capabilities be questioned by confusing perfection and competence.
When I looked up the word “mastery” in the dictionary, the definition explained that it meant having a “comprehensive knowledge or skill.” I realized that I had a comprehensive knowledge or skill in all sorts of different areas–some that I use in my home business and some that come in handy in other situations (cooking, for example.) I would have never considered myself a “master” cook or really a “master” at anything in my home business until my colleague helped me see that perfection is unattainable and that is not what mastery is about anyway. The better we can become at the skills necessary to run our businesses and the more we can capitalize on those things and topics we do well, the more proficient and efficient we will be. Hopefully, this proficiency will result in growth and increased profits for our home business operations–and that would be a fine way of experiencing mastery in our home business arenas if you ask me!
Also: Vocabulary Word of the Day: Mastery