Curiosity's Spark, Intensity's Burn, Consistency's Grind
The Spark That Becomes a Burn That Grinds to Mastery
There is a straightforward way to greatness, whether you want to become a master coder, start a successful business, or learn to play the piano.
You must go through three stages on this journey: curiosity, intensity, and consistency. Let’s call it the trifecta of what it takes to reach the pinnacle of mastery in any discipline.
“ If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all” - Michelangelo.
Let me explain :
Phase 1: Curiosity
The first phase is being curious about something and having an open and eager mindset to learn. This spark gets you interested and excited to start exploring a new area. With curiosity, it's easier to sustain motivation. You need first to discover your passions or deep interests. Ask questions, read, and research widely. Feed your curiosity to understand better if you truly want to dedicate yourself to this.
Curiosity is the basis of education, and if you tell me that curiosity killed the cat, I say only the cat died nobly." - Arnold Edinborough.
Phase 2: Intensity
The next phase is intensity, once you have piqued your curiosity and committed to pursuing a path. You need to go all in and immerse yourself fully—study with vigour and energy. Work with a sense of urgency and enthusiasm. Make sacrifices to put in long hours of concentrated practice and effort. Accelerate your learning curve through intense application. Burn with a bright flame during this phase to quickly make as much progress as possible.
"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." - Nelson Mandela
Phase 3: Consistency
Intensity alone is not enough, though. The final phase of mastery is consistency over a long period of time. Make your passion or pursuit a lifestyle choice. Embed it into your routines. Steadily chip away with daily practice and incremental improvements. Cultivate habits and discipline. Stick with it during the plateaus and inevitable lulls in motivation. Overcome obstacles through perseverance. Consistency over years and decades allows you to go from being intensely interested to truly world-class in your field.
It is more than just one or two of these stages. To be genuinely competent, you need all three in order: that first spark of interest that grows into a fierce flame, which continues over time through gritty regularity.
This is a challenging path that not many people fully commit to. I hope you do!
