Monthly Issue
January 2026
The timeless quest to go beyond competence and achieve excellence.
You know mastery when you see it — on the stage, on the page, or on the field. But beyond raw practice, what actually creates mastery? What elevates skill from competent to extraordinary? In this monthly issue, we explore what mastery is, how it’s cultivated, and, perhaps most intriguingly, why some people are willing to trade it all for a chance to be the best. Inside, neuroscientist Rachel Barr speaks with author David Epstein about the systems that build star performers. Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci examines the ancient idea that we can only truly master one thing in life. And neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff dismantles five myths that make us quit before the real progress begins. All that and much, much more. We hope you enjoy.
How a small shop in Kyoto connects mastery with meditation
What 150-year-old Japanese workshop Kaikado can teach us about finding calm through focus in an age of distraction.
From self-erasure to self-mastery: Ethan Suplee’s second act
The actor learned control, endurance, and focus on-set. Those lessons became the foundation of his real-world fight with addiction and self-hatred.
Memorizing London’s 25,000 streets changes cabbies’ brains — and may prevent Alzheimer’s
One of the toughest vocational exams in the world requires candidates to memorize 25,000 streets in an area five times the size of Manhattan.
The systems that build star performers
Many top performers start behind — and overtake the early leaders later.
How training your gaze could help you master sports — and your own attention
Elite athletes train their “quiet eye.” What happens if the rest of us do the same?
How a Japanese philosophy helped me improve my life
Kaizen taught me that tiny, consistent changes can be more powerful than dramatic overhauls.
The last masters: The international effort to preserve an ancient craft
The revival of Pasto Varnish shows how living heritage can survive if knowledge is passed on in time.
The 5 myths that make us quit before we get good
These cultural lies make normal struggle feel like failure. A habit of experimentation makes it feel like progress.
Mastering the edge: How success raises the stakes for elite adventurers
For elite climbers, divers, and explorers, mastery can fuel an escalation loop in which identity and danger rise together.
7 must-read books for mastering essential life skills
Timeless guidance on communication, time management, creativity, and more from some of today’s most influential thinkers.
You can only truly master one thing, according to Epictetus
The Stoic philosopher argued that most of life is outside our control — but the little we do control defines who we are.
