With a heavy heart, I’ve canceled the third cohort of Waves of Focus.

Unfortunately, there weren’t enough students enrolled to sustain it. I’m certain there are many reasons, all quite understandable, including the time and resources involved.

Still, the interest is clearly there, the material is solid, and I would like to sustainably get its ideas to those who could benefit.

To this end, I’d like to ask for your input.

But before getting there, kindly indulge me as I describe one of the course’s early lessons, Steps of Mastery.

A Step of Mastery

As an overview, to take a Step of Mastery:

  1. Recognize frustration
  2. Slow down
  3. Reduce size/scope
  4. Return to at least “a level below”
  5. Find a level of ease and build from there

Throughout the course, I visit and revisit this principle in its various details and manifestations, not only because it is important, but because it is subtle enough to both appear obvious and be forgotten.

Whether learning to practice the piano or going through the course itself, these steps can be quite powerful, particularly when coupled with regular visits. Rhythmic waves, after all, carve mountains.

But that first point of recognizing frustration, is probably the most important. After all, frustration is the seed of organizing and, by many measures, thought itself.

One way of looking at frustration is to see it instead as tension. In fact, sometimes I like the word tension more as it somehow has a tangibility, its directions more easily read.

Once tension is found, felt, and acknowledged, it often becomes more obvious that there is no need to force something to work. Doing so tends to create more troubles.

But, by listening to the tension inherent to any work, we can better sense what might be creating the turbulence and, with greater clarity, decide on a next step.

Through listening, we can say,

“ah… in this musical passage, my fingers are stumbling. What if I slowed down? Maybe that’s where I’ll find an ease to nourish a better return into a more welcome challenge.”

Through reflection, we can say,

“Wait, this class module confuses me. Maybe I missed something somewhere. What if I focus on this part here? Now, I can either better understand that point and have a stronger foundation to say, ‘Hey Kourosh, this doesn’t seem to make sense.’”

And by doing so begin a solid discussion in which more meaningful learning can take place.

In this way, tension is the primary teacher.

Translating Tension

And, I believe the same is true for the Waves of Focus course. Somewhere, there has been a tension. I have to hear it and hopefully translate its message.

Easier said than done, as most things are, and until then, these are all just words that sound nice together.

Still, whatever happens, the ship’s bearings must change as the current direction doesn’t work…

While I could write a book or standalone course as I’ve done before, I worry that losing the cohesion of a group would be detrimental. Those with wandering minds often struggle with awful feelings of isolation, frustration, and more, and a gathering of like-minded folks can do wonders for learning to manage one’s internal and external worlds.

While I do have some thoughts as to where to head next in order to sustainably bring this material out to as many as I can, I return to where I began and ask your thoughts before I chart that bearing…

What are your thoughts?
How do you believe Waves of Focus – Guiding the Wandering Mindmight best reach you?

Feel free to comment below.