74. How to Achieve Mastery One Brick at a Time
The bricklayer builds walls for a living. Small and large. Big and tall. He takes and appreciates what he gets.
His approach is simple. The bricklayer presents a simple one-page plan every time, and proceeds to gets started. The bricklayer focuses on laying bricks, not analyzing minor details. He doesn’t waste precious time reading book after book on bricklaying. He doesn’t try to “hack” the system by laying two to three bricks at a time. The bricklayer mindfully focuses on one brick at a time — for one brick can diminish the integrity of the entire wall.
The bricklayer has a small tool belt. Nothing fancy here—a trowel, mallet, hammer, chisel, and level. The bricklayer slugs forward, creating small milestones before taking breaks and vacations.
One brick at a time, the bricklayer slathers the mortar on the brick and lays it on top of another. He gets bogged down during the slow, tedious and methodical continuation of laying bricks, but embraces the process and continues to mortar every brick.
After hours of experience, and hundreds of built walls, he earns the designation of master bricklayer. Student bricklayers admire his effortless motion—watching him as he gracefully applies the mortar on the brick, and how rapidly yet carefully he lays the brick on top of another.
One brave student approaches the master bricklayer and ask, “How did you become a master bricklayer? What is your secret?”
“What’s a master bricklayer?” The bricklayer says.
Simultaneously, the master, puzzled as to why the student has two bricks in his hand, removes one brick from the student’s hand and says, “But to answer your question, I lay one brick at a time.”
The master goes back to work—continuing to build his wall.
