Joey wanted to be a karate master. He entered karate classes and thought learning many things would make him a master. After Joey had a stance, block and punch learned, he thought he had enough to master a kata. Joey attempted a kata, got lost in the moves and realized he didn’t know his moves as well as he thought.
Joey wanted to speed ahead to a higher belt, but he couldn’t move forward without mastering the little he knew.
Joey felt defeated, so he asked, “Sensei, why haven’t I graded for my next belt?”
His Sensei replied, “Joey, you are great as you are, a success for trying. You can’t advance until you master; there’s no point in trying to go faster.”
People are often blinded by speed and forget the patient hard work required to master a skill. Without basic skills, there’s no foundation to support big dreams. Slow and steady, build a strong base; in time, you will be an ace.