Simplicity Is Power

“Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated.
It is hard to keep things simple.”
~ Richard Branson

complicated construction

Simplicity is power.

Complexity is confusion and chaos.

You could contemplate these two lines for hours, even days, and it would be time well invested.

Masters have the ability to take something often complex and make it simple, easy to access, and easy to apply. To focus their lives upon their One Thing, and this is no small feat by any stretch of the imagination.

We live in a society that is addicted to complexity.

Needing more.

The need to do more.

Needing to have more.

But in a society of doing we forget that mastery comes not from doing, but from being. Big difference.

socrates“To be is to do.”
~ Socrates

Oh yes, there’s plenty to be done. More than plenty. But all that you do or don’t do comes directly from who you are. And you’ll never learn to be more without taking time to step back from the incessant doing and dive deeply into your own being self. Dive deeply into your own sense of self.

This may seem simple, and it is, for success is pretty simple, it’s just simply not applied.

Studies at Stanford have shown that for mastery and superhuman performance to occur… accurate self-knowledge is absolutely necessary. Please read that again and ponder deeply. Especially the word accurate.

In a world gone mad with fantasy, dreaming, and romanticism, an accurate
assessment of one’s true Innate Abilities is the fundamental road to
sanity as well as potential mastery.

boat sailing in a serene ocean

Willpower (even in the most willful person we know), is limited. Decision fatigue is a new psychological term that is rampant in our world. Therefore, those who are absolute masters know themselves; they know their One Thing, and they focus their energy and attention upon it.

Michael Jordan is arguably one of the greatest athletes of all time. Yet, when he decided to play baseball he failed miserably.

He forgot who he was. His self-knowledge was off or aggrandized.

He very quickly returned to his One Thing.

Michelangelo didn’t play sports. Alexandra Nechita doesn’t play jazz. Kobe Bryant isn’t an expert in chess. Stephen Jobs wasn’t a master chef. Danny Way doesn’t build businesses.

Each of these masters knows themselves, their unique genius, and they build their entire lives around the mastery of their specific craft.

Are you thinking?

You must simplify.

Minimalize.

Becoming a master is not genetics or special talent
as much as it’s knowing who you are; your unique ability;
and doing whatever it takes to develop them to a level of mastery.

hand holding and molding clay

If you have a deep-seated need to be social and popular, then unless you’re willing to let that go, you’ll never achieve even a degree of mastery.

Unless social and popular is your mastery.

Why?

Simplicity Is Power

Your mind and your energy are the greatest assets you’ve been given by your Creative Source. Invest in them wisely.

Time is your greatest resource. Use it wisely.

“My greatest resource is time; and I never have enough of it.”
~ Kevin O’Leary

hands holding the clock's hand

I could write an entire series on these three factors alone (and maybe I will some time. But not at this time.) Let me just address each of these things with respect to Mastery, Genius, and Greatness.

Learn how to Develop Genius, Mastery, and Contribute Greatness in this article.

Unless and until you’re investing heavily in your greatest asset. Which means:

  • Investing in books, MP3’s, online learning systems and experiences,
  • Live on-the-ground-in-person-face-to-face personal development and advancement events (yes you read that correctly. In fact read it again).

You’ll never touch even a fraction of your potential without getting out from in front of your computer and attending a live immersion event.

It’s a fact.

I have several online courses and resources. They’re high quality and full of content and integration exercises. They’re a great start. But at best they’re a distant second to a personal live event experience covering the same material.

Not a very popular concept for many in today’s “online-click a mouse-environment” I know, but true nonetheless.

If you want to double your income, double your results,
and double your feeling of aliveness and fulfillment…
You must triple your investment in your own development,
advancement, and growth.

man sitting above stack of coins

I call this my “One by Ten Formula.” Every single dollar and every single hour you invest in your own development, advancement, and growth will conservatively return to you ten times over.

You see, in the words of Jobs, “Success is hard;” and if you don’t have a firm foundation upon which to build, you won’t put in the hours; you won’t weather the storms; you won’t do the work and have the perseverance necessary to develop mastery.

It takes a lot.

Count the cost before you begin the journey.

Most don’t.

And you better love what you’re doing or you’ll quit. Most do.


If you’re going to commit to mastery and greatness then you must make some fundamental commitments first:

  • Invest three times as much time and money in your own development, advancement, and growth as you wish to see in your results.

Studies of the wealthiest people in the world prove conclusively that they’re committed to lifelong learning. They read daily, they attend personal development events on a regular basis. They listen to audiobooks and lessons in the car.

If you choose to be in the top 3% then you must do the things, and value the things, that the 97% don’t. I can instantly tell what you value by looking at your checkbook, your credit card statement, and your calendar. Where you invest your time and your money tells all. Think about it.

“The number one investment that anyone can make is in their own education.”
~ Warren Buffett

woman looking for books in a library

  • Find your Innate Ability and Unique Genius.

This is not a romanticized Innate Ability! In other words, something you think you want to do because it looks exciting or sexy on someone else. No. Remember Stanford studies show that accurate self-knowledge is key to ultimate human performance. Accurate self-knowledge brings accurate skill and ability assessment.

Jordan was the king of basketball. He was marginal at best at baseball. He took some hard lessons, hard knocks, and a lot of humbling before he returned to where Universal Intelligence had placed him to shine. Are you following?

Romanticism is rampant. While it’s possible that we’ll find the Pegasus and Unicorn one day… it’s not too probable. Are you listening?

Time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Find out what you’re good at. Your unique genius. I can help with this and I’ll always shoot you straight. Your life and your results will transform.

Ask yourself: What’s My One Thing that I can master my industry doing?

Being good at many things negates the ability to be great at One Thing.

woman holding her head stressed out

  • Align your specific goals with your specific skillset.

This point is vitally important and cannot be overemphasized.

In Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s groundbreaking research and documentation of the now heavily pursued “Flow State,” he found that two of the characteristics that facilitate this profound state are:

  • Clear goals; and
  • Goals that are congruent with, and aligned appropriately, with one’s particular skillset.

Game changer alert! Man, that’s important. Read the two points above again. Seems like an echo of the Stanford studies on accurate self-knowledge. Are you following?

Romanticism never produced a Mozart. Never has. Never will. Innate Abilities coupled with long persistent work, brought Mozart’s genius to the world.

  • Habituate all high value activities.

Avoid decision fatigue which is rampant. Save your willpower for the high leveraged life and business decisions that must be made to drive and determine your destiny.

  • Focus. Learn to say no to social engagements. If you’re committed to mastery this is a must! And it’s a fundamental factor of minimalism.

People often ask me, “What do I say without hurting someone’s feelings?” My favorite is, “Thanks so much for thinking of me and I already have plans.” Simple. Straightforward. True. Each of my days is planned nearly to the tee.

If you can’t do this, that’s okay. Just be honest with yourself. You must fall more in love with your mastery than with your social activity—more in love with it than with anything for that matter. For such is the price of greatness and there’s no value in lying to yourself.

  • Say no to 4 hours of TV per day (the American average). Know your value and hourly worth and remember that time is your greatest resource. Use it wisely.

“The problem is that we all think we have time.”
~ The Buddha

burning piece of paper with time written on it

Of course, there’s more. There’s always more. But these six things are a good start. We still have a lot of ground to cover and let me just say… if you’ve decided to commit to mastery then you must be putting these lessons into immediate action.

In fact, let me add one more:

  • Never leave the site of a new learning, insight or a self-commitment without taking some type of action within 24 hours or less.

Get busy.

Education without execution is a waste of space.
Execution without education is a waste of time.

James Arthur Ray

And the journey continues…

Be a Leader. Live Your Purpose; and Take Your Power Back!

james arthur ray

James

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