The Mind of Vatke
Thoughts, Musings and Advice by Andre Vatke

“If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.”

- Michelangelo (1475–1564) Italian painter and sculptor

Too many times I have heard people express their envy at the success or appearant talents of others. “It’s easy for them,” or “I’m not like so and so,” they say as an excuse to why they shouldn’t try as hard.

An even worse trap is to assume that anything you want to master or accomplish must be easy. I’ve seen many people end dejected, confused or even blissfully ignorant of the work-mastery paradigm. This causes them to frequently switch companies, training methods, products, all costing more and more money yet delivering little tangible progress in return.

One rule I have found nearly constant in almost 40 years on this planet is that things worth having don’t usually come easy. The skill or talent to build a business, build relationships or even just create a work of art don’t just fall from the sky. They must be nurtured, honed and exercised to get stronger and this takes a certain amount of personal discipline.

Personal discipline is one of those things we hate to talk about but in all reality it probably the most important skill we could master. It’s personal discipline that’s the driving force behind all personal growth and any mastery of skill. What others see as natural and easy is often the result of pushing ourselves when no one was looking.