Why you need to be a jack of all trades and a master of ONE

Written by Stuart Haden on January 13, 2016

If you consider yourself to be a ‘jack of all trades and master of none’ then do not fear, you are only a few degrees away from optimal performance. You just need to drop the letter N from the above sentence and strive to being a ‘jack of all trades and master of ONE.’ You are probably already a master without realising it. Being a ‘jack of all trades’ allows us to relate to others effectively. We need to be able to talk and listen with equal measure. But, being a master obviously kicks us into another league as I describe in this 2 min video.

For example, in the world of coaching we are obsessed with measuring the coaches credentials in the form of accreditation and supervision. But it recently dawned on me that my role as a coach (and facilitator) is to guide people towards optimal performance. And in order to do this effectively I need to be able to cite at least one example of where I currently perform optimally. My Ultra Marathon exploits are quite demonstrable when I work with top performers. But it doesn’t have to be this graphic. Are you a Yoga guru? Fantastic family member? Crossword wizard? Or a volunteer for a charity? Activity that calls upon you to perform optimally on a physical, mental and emotional level.

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You might not have the physical or cognitive prowess that you once had but you need to keep this current. Talking about how I almost made the 1998 Commonwealth Games field hockey squad is a good basis for being a master, but it’s not current. As a currency in 2016 it doesn’t have the same value as it once did. What are you doing right now that represents optimal performance? A level of performance that pushes you beyond what is possible. Forget comparisons to others, recognise when you are in your zone, being authentic or in a flow state that. In order to achieve more flow in your life check out my free online course – The 7 Secrets of Increasing Personal Energy: Introduction.