Chapter 8 of The Slight Edge is about mastering it.

Mastery has three components:

1. Baby Steps
2. Wanting
3. Closing The Gap

Baby steps are exactly what you think they are and this point has been fully fleshed out in this series. But Olson makes the point quite cleverly by being literal. Thinks about a baby learing to walk. In fits and spurts there is pushing or pulling yourself up, often accompanied by hanging on to something. A tentative step is taken usually resulting in falling on your behind. Some get up and try again immediately. Others wait an hour, a day, or two. But the baby tries again, as many times as needed, until they take their first successful step. The simple lesson is: don’t quit. Just make another effort toward your goal.

Wanting is absolutely necessary to achieving your goal. If you don’t want it, you aren’t going to get it. Have you ever seen a baby not learn to walk? Of course not. They all want to do it.

Olson makes the point wanting hurts. In my opinion, this is more profound than most people are willing to admit. “That means your dreams can be painful. Letting yourself become aware of what you desire, but do not have, means experiencing the ‘lack’ side of the coin as well as the ‘desire’ side. It means becoming more fully aware of what you don’t have. It means staring at your present reality with a sober eye and refusing to kid yourself. Noticing that you’re not where you want to be can be uncomfortable.” Shit got real yo.

Closing the gap is, of course, moving from where you are to where you want (there’s that word again) to be. This gap is creates tension. Look at the comments to nearly any past GlibFit to see the tension this creates. You are going to resolve the tension in one to ways. Fiver percenters will keep moving their present circumstances toward their goal. They will keep taking steps to close the gap. About ninety five percent will quit dreaming. They let go of their goals, dreams, aspirations, etc. With that gone, there is no more tension.

Stay on the upward curve my friends.

I’m at least 10 years behind the time having never discovered Steel Panther until now. Spinal Tap was funny but not this funny. With that in mind, here is this week’s music.

Weekly cuteness.