Like many people, I’ve had to adjust my life over the last month.

There are new pressures on my time, and I have to weigh options I’ve never considered before.

I’ve faced new distractions that I typically don’t deal with.

All of these factors have ruffled my feathers, and I don’t feel like I’ve been as productive as I’d like to be.

What’s a person to do when they get knocked off their routine?

The simple answer is to get back on the routine.

A master is a master because they hone their craft daily.

If you want to be a master in your chosen profession, then learn what masters do.

Model their actions, and you will be well on your way to becoming a master.

Why?

For every result, there is an action.

When you work on that action, you will get the result that action produces.

If I want to swim, then I need to float, move my arms, and move my legs.

I will not be an Olympic swimmer at the beginning, but why should I be?

I haven’t put in the time, work, or action to get the results that an Olympic swimmer achieves.

There is a work ethic I must follow to get the results of a master.

Let’s takes some words of advice from Stephen King, one of the best writers of modern history.

“Read and write four to six hours a day.  If you can’t find time for that, you can’t expect to become a good writer.”

“If you’re just starting out as a writer, you could do worse than strip your television’s electric plug-wire, wrap a spike around it, and then stick it back into the wall. See what blows, and how far. Just an idea.”

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

“Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

“Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position.”

“Talent renders the whole idea of rehearsal meaningless; when you find something at which you are talented, you do it (whatever it is) until your fingers bleed or your eyes are ready to fall out of your head.”

The best thing to move forward is to take one step.

That’s all you have to focus on right now.

However, you want to make sure you are stepping in the right direction.

Otherwise, you’ll end up being like Alice in Wonderland when she ran into the Cheshire Cat.

Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, who was sitting in a tree, “What road do I take?”

The Cat asked, “Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know,” Alice answered.

“Then,” said the Cat, “it really doesn’t matter, does it?”

To avoid the aimless wandering, ask yourself one question.

What is one thing I would like to accomplish this week?

Spend a few moments listening to your thoughts.

For bonus points, pull out a pen and paper and start writing those thoughts down.

Now look at the words on the paper and pick one thing to accomplish this week.

This is your week’s objective.

You must attack this objective with vigor until you complete it.

At this point, it doesn’t have to be something grandiose.

It only must be one thing to move you forward.

Getting into action is the first step.

I want you to be moving forward.

Now, block out some time in your calendar to work on this every single day.

Work until you finish your objective for this week.

Make it the same time every day so you can establish a routine.

A routine is what makes you a master.

Think about the great swimmer Michael Phelps.

Did you leave his training to chance?

Absolutely not.

He had a set time every day for training.

Do you think he wanted to get into the swimming pool every day?

No, of course not.

He got in the swimming pool every day and followed his training routine every day because he wanted to become the best swimmer he could be.

And that is why he is a master.

Follow what masters do, and you will become a master.

Establish a weekly routine, and you are well on your way to elevating yourself above the masses and becoming the best you can become.

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