2023 Tiger Challenge- A Chance at Mastery

The Tiger Challenge is coming up fast, which means soon you will either pass or fail another one of your requirements. Which are you going to choose?

Attendance is mandatory, same as your classes. And, same as your classes, if you cannot be there you need to let your instructors (me) know BEFORE THE EVENT. Why? So that you are forced to think it through, think through what you are going to say to me, and double check that you feel your reasons are valid and outweigh the importance of your engagement.

Work happens, injury happens, illness happens. Totally get it. But, if you are not in attendance and not competing in the Tiger Challenge, you have failed. Mastery doesn’t care why, just whether or not you do.

So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to throw your hands up in the air and say “Well, I failed. Bummer.”?

If so, then yep, you’re right.

It is imperative that you understand the statement “mastery doesn’t care”. The thing is, your instructors are not heartless and are not apathetic to your situation.

But, MASTERY DOES NOT CARE. You either do or do not. You keep your promises and meet your requirements, or you do not.

You are working your butt off and unfortunately get horribly sick a day before you grade for black. Do you really want the grading board to say “Aw that sucks, she tried, maybe we should just promote her anyways.”? Do you really want your efforts and your black belt tainted and degraded like that? You didn’t earn it, but you tried, good enough?

I hope not. I don’t want my efforts and my rank devalued like that.

So, what’s your plan? You may get sick, you may have to work, life happens. So what are you going to do to best ensure your success and your progression?

I’m not sure, but I do know shrugging your shoulders or leaving it to the fates is not going to move you forward on your journey.

Even Artificial Intelligence Knows Mastery

An experimental chat GPT bot has been given additional training in all five million words of Seth Godin’s blog. Here’s what it had to say when I asked it: “How do you stay motivated and creative when faced with writer's block?”:

”According to my training data from Seth's Blog, the best way to deal with writer's block is to write, and to realize that your bad writing isn't fatal. People with writer's block don't have a problem typing. They have a problem living with bad writing, imperfect writing, writing that might expose something that they fear. The act of doing it every day is more important than the output itself. When you commit to a practice, you will certainly have days when you don't feel like it, when you believe it's not your best work, when the muse deserts you. But, when you keep your commitment, the muse returns. When you keep your commitment, the work happens.”

Okay guys, it does not take a rocket scientist to see the wisdom here. Even artificial intelligence agrees with me. When you do not feel like training - train. If you have nothing to journal about - journal. What is the solution to all you problems? ENGAGEMENT! Take action and the results take care of themselves.

Jeff Brinker