Becoming Remarkable through Meaningful Progress
Becoming Remarkable through Meaningful Progress
[3/5] The strategy for achieving remarkable progress toward what matters most.
We’ve already taken a closer look at the first two pieces of the framework: deciding to become better and investing in Worthwhile Pursuits. Today we’re drilling one layer deeper into the third piece of the framework, Meaningful Progress.
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What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.
Zig Ziglar
Meaningful Progress toward our Worthwhile Pursuits is how we become better.
It differs from typical improvement in both magnitude and impact. Most of us can improve, in the general sense of the word, without much effort.
If all we do is clock in and clock out at work, it will eventually lead to some progression or even a promotion, but the progress will be trivial.
The same is true in relationships or at the gym. We can make progress just by showing up, but it won’t be impactful in any meaningful way.
Showing up is a prerequisite for Meaningful Progress, but it’s not enough on its own.
Meaningful requires the Remarkable
Making Meaningful Progress is moving past average and progressing to non-trivial mastery within a pursuit.
If we think of progress in terms of percentiles, reaching the 50th or 60th percentile of mastery is fairly straightforward. It becomes harder, but not terribly difficult to reach the 70th percentile.
But, progressing to this level of mastery is, by definition, average. It’s not impactful in any unique way.
Doing something remarkable, in the literal sense of the word, typically means we’ve climbed past the 80th percentile and joined the top 20% in a certain domain or pursuit.
We know we’re making Meaningful Progress when others feel compelled to remark or comment about it.
This caliber of impact and performance isn’t something we stumble upon accidentally.
Meaningful Progress toward Worthwhile Pursuits
Meaningful Progress requires commitment and focus.
If we’re not committed, we’ll never put in the time and effort required to move past average.
If we’re not focused, our efforts will be too scattered to make an impact or our efforts will be wasted on something that isn’t worthwhile.
If we make Meaningful Progress in Candy Crush is it really meaningful? Our efforts need to be focused toward a Worthwhile Pursuit for them to be impactful.
Once we’re focused on the right pursuit and committed for the long haul, slowly but surely, we’ll start to see the results. As we make Meaningful Progress, our chosen pursuits will become the fabric of who we are.
They will define the decisions we make, who we spend our time with, and how the rest of the world perceives us.
Progress this impactful requires we have a clear and Worthwhile Pursuit and a plan to achieve it. Executing that plan and becoming remarkable is how we make Meaningful Progress and Meaningful Progress is how we become better.
Prompts
Which areas of life are you just showing up in? Should you show up at all or do you need to invest more time and energy?
When others speak to you or about you, what do they remark about?
In which Worthwhile Pursuits do you need to refine your commitment and focus to make Meaningful Progress?
Deep Dive
Greene challenges the idea of a “genetic genius” and proposes a framework that anyone can use to become a “master” in their field.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you next Sunday.
Kevin