Master Anything-Even When You Feel Like Quitting

August 10, 2025 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

You’re Not Stuck-You’re Early in the Process

When Kelly and I rolled into Kingsville, Texas in the summer of 1982, she started crying.

We had just gotten married—two days prior. No honeymoon. No Hawaii. Just a quick wedding and a long drive across the desert in her Datsun 280Z.

As we turned off Highway 77, she looked out at the flat, dusty landscape, tears in her eyes and asked haltingly, “We live here?”

That moment broke my heart. Not because she cried—but because I realized she had sacrificed everything to follow me into this high-pressure world of naval aviation, and I’d barely slowed down to notice.

I was in too preoccupied with survival in jet training.

I had checked into VT-23, the basic jet training squadron, two months earlier. I was learning to get comfortable flying the T-2 Buckeye – my first time in a jet aircraft. Mastering the “Guppy” was a critical test to see if I had what it took to earn the wings of gold and climb in the cockpit of my dream jet, the F-14 Tomcat.

Every day I flew the T-2, I was learning to think five miles ahead of the aircraft, because that’s how fast jets go. There was no time for failure; no margin for error. I was focused. Locked in.

Repetition was everything.

Repetition is the Path to Mastery

Flight school isn’t about trying something once and moving on. It is about flying the same patterns again. And again. And again. Until you can’t get it wrong.

There’s a phase in jet training called FCLP—Field Carrier Landing Practice. You simulate landing on an aircraft carrier by flying the carrier landing pattern at the field. We call it “bouncing”. FCLP leads to aircraft carrier landing qualification or “CQ”. CQ is the most difficult phase of flight training in any aircraft, in any air force in the world. Because when it’s time to land on the boat safely, there are no second chances. No do-overs.

That’s how mastery is built.

Not by talent. Not by luck.

By repetition.

By time on task.

I mastered the Guppy on the ship…well, at least enough to qualify! When I finally strapped on the advanced jet trainer, the TA-4J Skyhawk – you didn’t strap in to that cool little sports car of a jet, you wore it — that’s when I knew I was leveling up. I wasn’t just flying the jet. It was an extension of me.

The 4 Levels of Competence
As you pursue mastery, you’ll move through these phases:

Unconscious Incompetence – You don’t know how bad you are.
Conscious Incompetence – Now you know… and it’s humbling.
Conscious Competence – You can do it, but it takes all your focus.
Unconscious Competence – You fly the pattern in your sleep. It’s who you are.

That same level of unconscious competence applies to leadership.

Leaders Practice Until They Master the Moment
You can’t fake preparation.

Whether it’s delivering a high-stakes pitch, leading a team through crisis, or landing a jet at 140 knots aboard the boat—leaders don’t wing it. They rehearse.

They visualize. They practice.

The greatest mistake I see in aspiring leaders? They quit too early. They get discouraged when it doesn’t click right away. But here’s the truth:

You have to be bad before you can be good.
You have to be good before you can be great.

There’s no shortcut. Only repetition.

Leadership Tool: Self-Talk Rewiring

As you train, your brain listens to your self-talk.

If you say, “I’m not good at this,” your body believes it.

But if you say, “I’m learning this skill,” your body relaxes and performs better.
So speak to yourself like a leader in training. Not a failure in hiding.

Bottom Line: Repetition Builds Winners

You’re not falling behind. You’re building muscle memory. You’re not failing. You’re rehearsing for the real thing. And when the moment comes—whether in the boardroom, in your business, or in your family—you’ll perform like you’ve been there before.

Because you have.

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P.S.

If this message stirred something in you—share it. Forward it to a friend, colleague, or your leadership team. Better yet—let’s talk.

Let’s raise up a generation of leaders who know how to Lead to Win.

Mike Manazir
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Author of Learn How to Lead to Win

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