If you want to master any craft, read this: The 4 Stages of Competence model was created by Matthew Broadwell in 1969. It says we progress through stages when moving from total novice to expert at a given craft. The stages are as follows: 1. Unconscious Incompetence At this stage, you're a total novice and don't even know what you don't know. You lack competence and don't have an understanding of your own incompetence. 2. Conscious Incompetence Here, you've become aware of your own incompetence, but you haven't addressed it yet. You know that there's a gap in your skills that needs to be filled. 3. Conscious Competence At this stage, you've developed a level of competence at your craft, but it requires conscious effort and focus. You can do it, but it takes work. 4. Unconscious Competence This is the pinnacle of expertise, where you have extreme competence and can execute without conscious effort. Few people ever reach this stage. I visualize it most clearly as a hierarchy, with progress marked by a graduation up the pyramid from one stage to the next. This model is useful as a reflection tool for providing clarity about where we sit on a given skill or craft at any given moment. We tend to overestimate our own competency levels, so having a clear framework is helpful for cutting through the noise and delivering an honest personal assessment. To determine whether you've graduated from one stage to the next, here are some simple questions to ask: Stage 1 to Stage 2: • Am I aware of how bad I am at [X]? • Am I aware of what is required to learn and develop at [X]? Stage 2 to Stage 3: • Can I do [X] at a consistently average level? • Have I avoided "rookie mistakes" the last 10 times I have done [X]? Stage 3 to Stage 4: • Can I do [X] at a top-1% level with my eyes closed? • Do people tell me that I look effortless when doing [X]? Most of us will spend our lives in Stage 3, where we can create results with effort. But to reach Stage 4, we need to engage in deep, deliberate, focused practice. Our brains have myelin, a fatty tissue that insulates our neurons and greases them for proper firing. Stage 4 is where countless hours of effortful practice result in more myelin, allowing us to execute with ease. Stage 4 is the level of Sprezzatura—studied nonchalance, earned effortlessness. It's a state we can aspire to, but few will achieve across more than 1-2 areas in our lives (at best). As you progress in any new endeavor or craft, use the 4 Stages of Competence to reflect on your growth. If you enjoyed this or learned something, follow me @SahilBloom for more in future!