The Four Stages to Achieving Self-Mastery
Today, I want to look at how you can get yourself onto the fast track to becoming fully competent with your health, fitness, and ability to get and stay lean. At Mack Performance, I take pride in my ability to educate you on obtaining the best version of yourself. To achieve this we'll need you to focus on becoming more competent with your training and nutrition.
This is why I’ve created this Mack Performance University so I can help you educate yourself and build the necessary skillpower and self-confidence so you can achieve the results you desire.
When you know what’s ahead of you, you can avoid getting hijacked by discouragement and can better handle and plan for what’s ahead.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the four stages of Competency.
Stage 1 - Unconscious Incompetence
This is the stage that we don’t know or are even aware that we are incompetent. We don’t see any reason to learn or change because we don’t consider it necessary to change.
In this stage, our confidence greatly exceeds our ability when, in fact, we have little to no actual experience or skill and are unaware of our deficiency within the skill or subject.
In short, we are in a state of blissful ignorance.
Stage 2 - Conscious Incompetence
Within the second stage, you’re now aware of which skills and abilities are lacking and know there is a problem. You’re no longer ignorant of your deficiencies and are actually looking to make a change. You are looking to educate yourself to improve upon our current skills and abilities.
In this stage,
Our confidence drops as we realize our ability is lacking/limited
we feel uncomfortable and/or awkward while doing it.
We become uber aware of our lack of skillpower to do what we want
We begin to realize how much we actually don’t know
Our ability to practice our new skill takes all our concentration to do
In short, there’s a lot of learning and trial and error happening.
Although you may not know nor understand how to do something, you recognize that you have the willingness and ability to change this. You know that this won’t be perfect, yet you are willing to give it a try. You are fine with making mistakes and know that this is integral to the overall learning process.
This is probably where you are currently at. You know that your current health and fitness routine needs to change, so you decided to hire a coach. A lot of people I’ve worked with over the years fall into this stage of competency.
This is why I’ve created this Mack Performance University so I can help you educate yourself and build the necessary skillpower and self-confidence to break through this stage.
Don’t get me wrong; it won’t be perfect and I don’t expect it to be. However, mistakes need to be made so we can learn from them. If we are constantly making the same mistakes over and over again without adjusting, then we are stuck within the unconscious incompetence stage.
This is where the value of coaching comes in. As your coach, It’s my responsibility to help you become aware of these “deficits” so we can address them and move you towards the next phase. However, you need to make the commitment to learn and practice the new skill in this area, otherwise, we will be stuck within this stage.
Stage 3 - Conscious Competence
Upon reaching this stage, you’ve known what to do and have the necessary ability and knowledge to consistently do it. While you can do the skill/ability, it takes attention, concentration, and effort to do so.
In this stage:
Our confidence increases with our ability to do the task
We need to concentrate and think in order to perform the skill
We can perform the skill without assistance
We realized how much we have learned and how to apply that knowledge.
In short, you understand why you are doing what you are doing and why it’s important. You’re putting in the effort throughout the week to achieve your goals. Sure, you’re probably making some mistakes along the way, yet you are confident in your ability to execute the task.
This is where being consistent and disciplined, staying the course, and accountability will be critical to your success. This is where accountability and having a coach to lean on is important. More often than now, we know what to do, yet lack that “kick in the butt” to do those things.
However, true mastery isn’t attained until the fourth stage of learning is obtained.
Stage 4 - Unconscious Competence
Finally, we have reached the final stage of competency.
Upon reaching this stage, you’ve grown and developed your skillpower so it becomes “second nature” and can do previously difficult tasks with ease now.
As a result, you successfully execute your new skill while doing another task. You can now teach your new skill to others.
In this stage
Your confidence, skillpower, and ability have peaked
You’re no longer have to fully concentrate on the task at hand
You can easily do that task without thinking
Your ability to do the task as become a habit
This is the stage when the skill becomes almost a habit. We are able to be successful without concentrating and our conscious mind is free to take on other things.
From total darkness, awkwardness, discomfort, and frustration experienced in stages 1 and 2, through the efforts of conscious practice in stage 3, emerges a new level of being.
From putting in the work and conscious practicing the skill, you can now easily perform what was previously challenging and difficult. This is the stage in which the skill becomes a habit. We are able to do it without much effort.
Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be empowering you through education so you can reach this unconscious competence stage.
As a coach, I've built my coaching service around one core philosophy: Educating you on nutrition & training empowers you to bring the best version of yourself to every area of your life.
As a coach, I take great pride in my ability to educate you throughout your journey because once you understand the how and why behind changing your body composition, you’ll never again feel trapped with your current physique.
Regardless of which stage you may currently be in, I’m with you every step of the way.