The Discipline Of Mastermind
If you find you are weak in persistence, surround yourself with a Mastermind Group.
Napolean Hill (Think and Grow Rich)
Nearly a year ago, I started meeting with 13 other guys on a weekly basis. Every Friday morning at 6AM, we gather in someone’s basement for an hour-long conversation. Sometimes the weekly discussion centers around the chapter of a book. Sometimes we talk about a hot topic. Sometimes we spent time dealing with a struggle that one of us is going through. For fourteen weeks, we spent time getting to know each other (one week for each of us). When we started meeting together, we committed to meet together for the next twenty years. A year later, the group is still in tact. 19 more years until we reach our goal!
For me, the group has meant many things. Mostly, it is a place to spur each other on. The writer of Hebrews challenges readers in chapter 10:24-25:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on (STRETCH each other) toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
I find tremendous encouragement through our weekly meetings. These guys STRETCH me.
The group is a mastermind of men who are trying to become better husbands, better fathers, better workers, and better friends. We are also trying to grow and learn in our relationship with Christ.
Dictionary.com defines mastermind as follows:
to plan and direct (a usually complex project or activity), especially skillfully:
2.
a person who originates or is primarily responsible for the execution of a particular idea, project, or the like:
We want our group to help us intentionally grow. We are attempting to skillfully plan and direct our growth.
Real, consistent growth does not happen by accident. Growth (or stretching as I like to call it) happens when we practice the discipline of mastermind – the discipline of skillfully planning and directing our lives.
What do you want to accomplish in your life? What are you doing about it?
I think we could all use a mastermind group (or two or three) in our lives to help us strategically go after our calling.
This week, I am stepping into a new mastermind group with a few other people from around the country (Georgia, Texas, and Washington). We will be meeting bi-weekly for the next six months. We are all working on writing, speaking, podcasting, and other endeavors, and the group is designed to help us skillfully plan and direct our next steps. For me, this group will help me focus on the next steps in my writing and speaking journey.
I didn’t sign up for this group because I needed something else to fill my calendar. I signed up for this mastermind group, because I want to keep stretching, and I want to help others stretch.
We need others to speak into our lives, and they need us to be there for them. A mastermind group is a great place to intentionally fulfill both of these needs. Maybe you won’t call it a mastermind group, but you need others in your life. You need to be part of a community that will spur you on and stretch you. What are you waiting for?
How would your world be different if you made the decision to practice the discipline of mastermind? How has a mastermind group made a difference in your life?