“Open Interview” About Bruce’s Forthcoming Book

Bruce, what is the working title for the book? Why are you pursuing this?

My working title is: “Mastering the Process for Mastering Skills”

There is an overall, mastery process for developing skills of any kind. It can be most visibly and measurably applied to “hard” skills like: chess, playing a musical instrument and sports. But, the process can also be roughly applied to “soft” skills like – public speaking, empathetic listening, etc. Ask yourself: “Am I a black-belt, x-degree: boss, spouse, parent, sage, etc.” Nobody, for example, is born “wise”. What level of “wise” are we today? In 10 years?

Many of the building blocks within the overall mastery process are, however, hiding within, unconnected, scientific or specific-skill silos. My book will endeavor to provide an overview of the mastery process and connect many of these scattered concepts.

This project has been a hobby of mine for 64 years and counting. It started with my first tennis lesson at age ten. My wise Dad pointed out that with patience, tennis could become a lifelong journey for me with multiple benefits. And, he was a credible role model. He had excelled (in his youth) at soccer, basketball and (collegiate) baseball, but by the age of 40 he was only on an enjoyable, steadily-improving, tennis path.

I subsequently: enjoyed mastering a number of athletic skills; played college sports; and then shifted to tennis (always a side sport) in my mid 30’s. Today, I’m still measurably refining both my tennis and ski-carving techniques. (I’ve got Ski Carving School | gocarv.com gadgets attached to my ski boots with an improving “Ski IQ”.)

And, more importantly, I’m trying to improve at a number of pro-social, soft skills.

Who is this book for?

In the broadest sense, everyone. In the narrowest sense, this is the book that I wished I had at 13 years old. As I adolesced, I consciously began to want to improve existing and new habitual, automatic ,“hard” and softer skills. At the time, I was perplexed that most of my peers didn’t share my obsession with mastery which I loved doing. In retrospect, I was a statistical oddity. I was a super-privileged kid with very supportive parents. I had some exceptional, natural gifts. And, I was just wired to want to master skills: the “rage of mastery”.

But, all Homo Sapiens are wired to want to get better at things. Infants are incessant mastery machines. Every teen has dreams of getting better at something(s), especially if it will improve their status and popularity. Adults generally aspire to pay-forward to their kids an even better level of wisdom and skills that we got from their mentors. And, what about all of the sub-skills that go into being a wise elder who is peaceful and happy in spite of fading physical capabilities?

Today’s young adults have continuous, mastery career-needs. Many work hard to start out with professional work credentials, but technology is making traditional, static skills increasingly obsolete. To be gainfully employed for a lifetime, we must now be able to – learn, unlearn, and relearn on our own. On the flip side of “good jobs”, employers wish that all of their employees would: aspire to be “Black- Belt” excellent at one or more of their present skills; and/or, upskill into new, emerging, company skill-needs.

Anyone who wants to get more skillful in some way should benefit from learning more about both the art and science of the mastery process. Self-help exhortations like “just do it” aren’t sufficient for many.

Back to my 13-year-old, mastery-book wish. Most of today’s teens don’t have my luck and won’t read this book even if it were gifted to them. But perhaps their mentors will read it and do an even better coaching their proteges.

Bruce, how do you define levels of mastery, especially for “soft skills”?

Some skills like sports, or playing an instrument are easily rated for quality. Martial arts have colored belt levels from white to higher degrees of Black. Tennis rates players from 1 to 7, and ski schools rate students from 1 to 10.

At the other extreme, think about getting a score on your wisdom IQ. Philosophers and spiritual traditions have deemed wisdom as most valuable since recorded time. The “science of wisdom” has become a new research space over the past 40 years. And, while wisdom will never be precisely measurable, it is roughly so. Go to SD-WISE. Take the test honestly. Identify some sub-elements to master more effectively. And, consider re-taking the test periodically. Can you and all get wiser faster? Our society would benefit!

When will the book be finished?

Good question. Although I’ve been thinking about and practicing mastery for 64+ years, I stepped up my formal research for this book about 3+ years ago. It’s time to start pulling together my notes and start writing (amidst the distractions of my portfolio of other activities). I’m hopeful that this site (“Act 3”) will help to move my writing along while sharing excerpt drafts. I’m still not able to give an - early, likely, latest - set of dates for final publishing. So, stay tuned.

Has your research changed you?

Yes! For my kinesthetic, mastery paths (tennis and skiing), I’ve picked up some refinements. But, more importantly, my mastery investments in some pro-social, soft skills have picked up and improved a lot! One notable target area is wisdom. I’m involved in starting up and supporting a new, platform site regarding “Wisdom” (AspenWisdom.org). Our local angle is “spiritual wisdom” which not coincidentally has a near perfect overlap with secular, scientific wisdom discoveries. So, I’m endeavoring to practice what the site is sharing.

OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FORTHCOMING BOOK? SEND THEM IN. I’LL TACK THEM ON TO THIS OPEN-ENDED “INTERVIEW”.