Be the Master

Retired

This book is no longer available for sale.

Be the Master

Second Edition

About the Book

New! You can visit BeTheMaster.com for hardcopy and audiobook links, links to "The Grind" workbook, to share your story, and find more inspiration.

In the old days, trades were kept alive by Masters, who took on and trained apprentices into journeymen, who became Masters in their own right. We've lost that in most ways, but there's no reason you can't resurrect the approach for our modern times. Learn to achieve and recognize your own success, so that you can become a Master to someone else. This book covers my approach to Mastery, in a hope that it will inspire you to find your own path, and begin a generations-long tradition of helping others achieve their success. I cover the hurdles I overcame, including things like Imposter Syndrome, and outline a step-by-step approach for achieving your success. Because so many of us work in business, and because that work is usually a key part of our success, I also cover important business-related concepts and perspectives. It's a book I hope you can use to inspire yourself, and to help and inspire others.

In an effort to give readers more than just advice and inspiration, Be the Master (Second Edition) also includes The Grind, an adaptation of my personal, daily method for focusing myself, leveraging my strengths, working on my weaknesses, and keeping my eyes on my goals. The Grind is how I make sure I'm actively working to pass along what I've learned and mastered, rather than just waiting for apprentices to show up on my doorstep. Also included are the positive outcome-producing life behaviors that have personally served me, and many others, in achieving our success and finding apprentices to serve. Note that The Grind Workbook, referenced in the main book, is sold separately and is not required.

New! In the "Stay Connected" portion of the book's front matter (for purchased copies only, not the free sample), you'll find instructions for joining a free weekly email, designed to guide you through "The Grind" process and philosophy. It also provides tips and inspirations to help keep on on-track and energetic about your path to Mastery.

About the Author

Don Jones
Don Jones

Don Jones has been in the IT industry since the mid 1990s, and has been a recipient of Microsoft's "Most Valuable Professional" Award since 2003. He's a co-founder of PowerShell.org and The DevOps Collective, and a Curriculum Director for online video training company Pluralsight. Don authored some of the first books ever published for Windows PowerShell, and is the co-author of Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, the bestselling entry-level book for PowerShell. Don's a sought-after speaker at technology conferences like Microsoft Ignite, TechMentor, and many more. In 2014, Don started writing fiction in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, and had produced several notable novels, including The Never: A Tale of Peter and the Fae, The Achillios Chronicles trilogy (Alabaster, Onyx, and Verdant), and Daniel Scratch: A Story of Witchkind. You can find him on Twitter @concentratedDon, or on his website, DonJones.com. 

Table of Contents

  •  
    • Stay Connected
    • Introduction
    • How This Book is Organized
    • Beyond the Book
    • The Grind
  • Part 1: Getting Started
    • What About College?
    • Timothy the Blacksmith
    • Finding an Apprentice
    • Knowing it All
    • Confidence vs. Arrogance
    • Having vs. Getting
  • Part 2: Rules of Business
    • Businesses Solve a Problem
    • Businesses Are Not Inherently Evil
    • Businesses Have Motives and Perspectives
    • Businesses Are Customers
    • Businesses Have a Language
    • Businesses Have Rules
    • Businesses Have Limits
    • Businesses are Made of People
  • Part 3: Steps to Mastery
    • 1. Define Success
    • 2. Know Yourself
    • 3. Define Yourself
    • 4. Look Around You (and Look Closely)
    • 5. Make a Plan (and Get Permission)
    • 6. Execute, Study, Adjust
    • 7. Find Your Audience
  • Part 4: Rules of Life
    • Be Your Word
    • Be Detailed and Precise
    • Cut Your Losses When the Time Is Right
    • Be Friendly in the Face of Adversity
    • Own Your Own Life
    • Let Blue Sky Mode Happen
    • Manage Your Time
    • Communicate Well, Always
    • Respect the Yellow Line
  • Part 5: The Grind™
    • Using The Grind
    • Step 1: Define The Grind
    • Teaching Catalog
    • Apprentices
    • Step 2: Monthly Plans
    • Step 3: Weekly Plans
    • Step 4: Weekly Reviews
  • Part 6: What Worked for Me
    • Failure Happens
    • Be Afraid
    • Don’t Be Afraid: Break Things
    • Know Math
    • There Is No Multi-Tasking
    • Don’t be Lazy
    • Mind Control
  • Part 7: Being a Master at Work
  • Part 8: Becoming a Teacher
    • The Purpose of Teaching
    • What Motivates Us to Learn?
    • Know the Limits, Recognize the Value
    • Nail the Sequence
    • Brain Tips
  • And, in Closing
  • Afterword
  • Keep in Touch
  • Notes
    • Acknowledgements
  • Suggested Reading
  • Notes

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