Sarah Lewis: Embrace the near win

First Job at the Museum of Modern Art

The speaker reflects on their first job at the Museum of Modern Art and how it shaped their understanding of success and creativity.

Learning from Elizabeth Murray's Retrospective

• The speaker feels fortunate that their first job was working on a retrospective of painter Elizabeth Murray at the Museum of Modern Art.

• They learned a lot from Murray's work, especially from her paintings in the 1970s.

• Some motifs and elements from her early works reappeared later in her life.

• The speaker asked Murray about her thoughts on those early works, and she revealed that some didn't meet her own standards.

• One particular work was even discarded by Murray but recognized for its value by her neighbor.

Rethinking Success and Creativity

The speaker shares how their perspective on success and creativity changed based on their conversation with Elizabeth Murray.

Redefining Success

• The speaker realized that success is just a moment, while what we truly celebrate is creativity and mastery.

• They understood this when they learned about Murray's discarded painting that someone else saw value in.

• This revelation shifted the speaker's view of success as an event to valuing continuous creativity.

Converting Success into Mastery

The speaker explores the question of how to turn success into mastery.

Valuing Near Wins

• The speaker ponders on what leads to mastery and suggests that it comes from appreciating near wins.

• They had an experience watching varsity archers practicing, where hitting the target required aiming slightly off-center.

• Witnessing their dedication and persistence taught the speaker about excellence in obscurity.

Understanding Archery Mastery

The speaker reflects on their observations of varsity archers and the pursuit of mastery.

The Challenge of Hitting the Target

• The speaker watched varsity archers at a practice session, amazed by their precision.

• From a distance, hitting the small target seemed impossible, especially with 50 pounds of draw weight.

• Despite initial misses, one archer's determination grew stronger with each attempt.

Mastery in Obscurity

The speaker delves into the concept of mastery and its distinction from success and excellence.

Excellence vs. Mastery

• Success is momentary, while mastery is an ongoing pursuit.

• Mastery requires valuing near wins and embracing the process rather than focusing solely on goals.

• Examples are given of artists like Elizabeth Murray, Paul Cézanne, and Franz Kafka who saw their works as incomplete or flawed.

Sacrifices for Craft

The speaker emphasizes the sacrifices made for mastering one's craft.

Pursuit of Excellence

• Mastery involves sacrificing for one's craft rather than pursuing career advancement.

• Inventors, entrepreneurs, and Arctic explorer Ben Saunders exemplify this commitment to constant improvement.

Embracing Incompleteness

The speaker discusses how incompleteness is inherent in the pursuit of mastery.

Constant Pursuit

• Duke Ellington's perspective on always looking forward to composing his next song illustrates the essence of mastery.

• As proficiency increases, individuals become more aware of what they don't know (Dunning-Kruger effect).

Difference Between Success and Mastery

The speaker highlights the difference between success and mastery.

Closing the Gap

• Success motivates us, but it is the pursuit of mastery that propels us forward.

• Mastery is about constantly striving to bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

The Significance of Near Wins

The speaker emphasizes the importance of valuing near wins in the journey towards mastery.

Recognizing Near Wins

• Designating something as a classic or masterpiece may overlook its creator's perception of it as unfinished or flawed.

• Examples are given of artists like Elizabeth Murray, Paul Cézanne, and Franz Kafka who saw their works as near wins.

Constant Pursuit

The speaker reiterates the commitment to constant pursuit in mastering one's craft.

Ongoing Quest

• Mastery is not just about excellence or success; it is an ongoing quest for improvement.

• Michelangelo's desire for more than he could accomplish exemplifies this mindset.

Learning from Near Wins

The speaker emphasizes how near wins can propel us in our ongoing quest for mastery.

Increasing Knowledge

• James Baldwin noted that with knowledge, we realize how little we actually know.

• Success may motivate us, but it is the near win that drives us to continue improving.

Embracing Incompletion

The speaker discusses how embracing incompleteness is part of the pursuit of mastery.

Unfinished Works

• Artists like Franz Kafka and Paul Cézanne had works they considered incomplete or imperfect.

• Their willingness to embrace imperfection allowed them to create remarkable pieces despite their perceived flaws.

New Section

This section discusses the concept of near wins and how they can impact our motivation and focus on achieving our goals.

The Power of Near Wins

• Near wins, such as winning a silver medal instead of gold, can create a strong motivation for follow-up competition.

• The gambling industry has utilized the phenomenon of near wins by creating scratch-off tickets with a higher rate of near wins, leading people to buy more tickets.

• Near wins change our perspective and bring our goals closer to us, increasing our focus on addressing them.

• Jackie Joyner-Kersee's near win in 1984 motivated her to win the gold in the heptathlon in 1988 and set a record that still stands today.

• We thrive when we have more to do and stay at our own leading edge.

Harnessing the Power of Near Wins

• Deliberate incompleteness is built into creation myths, such as Navajo craftsmen intentionally including imperfections in their work.

• Masters understand that there is no conceptual end to their subject and continually strive for improvement.

• Archery coaches constantly seek new visualization techniques and drills to help their team overcome near wins.

• Coming close to what you thought you wanted can lead to even greater achievements than you imagined.

The transcript provided does not include timestamps for every bullet point mentioned in the instructions. I have included timestamps where available but could not associate all bullet points with specific timestamps due to missing information in the transcript.