I receive a daily email from Built to Lead, an organization that works with high-level executives and corporate teams. This organization believes, among other things, that building teams require the pursuit of personal excellence by each team member. They believe that “excellence must be built individually before it can spread organizationally.”

In one of their recent emails, they presented their “principles of perfect practice.”

The principles of Perfect Practice: whether you’re building a new golf swing, learning to be a better reader, or learning to be a truthteller, deliberate practice is the key to excellence!

Principles of Perfect Practice

• Deliberate
• Intentional
• Lots of reps, rinsing, and repeating
• Failing in the moment
• Seeking good feedback in the moment, good coaching
• Studying other masters, the little nuances they pay attention to
• Baby stepping your way to excellence

Are you deliberately practicing and modeling the skills and values you expect from your team?

Masonry is not an event. It is a process, a system of thought for continual contemplation and application. Built to Lead’s Principles of Perfect Practice will help you become a Mason.

Some questions I am asking myself:

• Am I deliberate? – Daily, am I conscious of my process of living better and demonstrating the lessons of Masonry?
• Am I intentional? – Am I practicing prudence by regulating my life by, as the ritual says, “wisely judging?”
• Am I repetitious? – Is my Masonic process frequent enough to become automatic?
• When I fail, do I think about why and correct it?
• Am I surrounding myself with others who are wiser than I am so I may learn? Am I seeking “good counsel?”
• Do I do the critical and small things well, or am I taking on too much causing me not to perform to the best of my ability?

What are your principles of perfect, Masonic practice? Think about them this week.

Have a Great Masonic Week!

PS – I have a favor to ask.

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