Chapter 1: The Awakening of Inspiration

Recently, I embarked on a long-awaited journey through Walter Isaacson’s biography of Leonardo Da Vinci. Though I haven’t reached the midpoint yet, the insights I’ve encountered are already reshaping my thoughts. I feel compelled to articulate these reflections in writing. Let’s dive in.

One striking revelation from the early chapters was Leonardo Da Vinci's to-do list, which profoundly impacted me. Upon seeing it, I couldn’t help but compare it to my own rather trivial list of tasks, prompting me to rethink my priorities. His list contained remarkable objectives such as:

• [Calculate] the dimensions of Milan and its suburbs
• [Find] a book discussing Milan and its churches from a local stationer
• [Discover] the measurements of Corte Vecchio, the duke’s palace courtyard
• [Learn] how to square a triangle from a master of arithmetic
• [Investigate] the mechanics of a crossbow

Isn’t that awe-inspiring? Here I am, six centuries later, with mundane tasks like "do 50 sit-ups" and "buy eggs" cluttering my list. It’s clear I need to elevate my ambitions. Moving on, I contemplated how to channel this inspiration from da Vinci's impressive to-do list into my daily life. Now, I aim to set lofty goals for myself each day, meticulously documenting them in a notebook.

I’ve committed to achieving everything I record in this notebook, treating it with the seriousness of a pact. Just like in the anime Death Note, this commitment feels essential. Although I’ve accomplished some good things over the past few days, I still struggle with procrastination. However, I’m determined to maintain this practice for a few months, striving not to break the chain of productivity.

Another aspect of da Vinci’s genius that caught my attention is his multifaceted expertise. As we know, he was a true polymath, and his diverse interests significantly enriched his contributions. Here are some domains I identified, and I’m sure there are many more:

• Nature
• Mechanics
• Anatomy
• Physics
• Architecture
• Weaponry
• Surgery
• Cartography
• Optics

It’s evident that these varied interests indirectly enhanced his primary vocation of painting. This leads me to the crux of my article: the essence of mastery lies in acquiring knowledge across various fields that bolster your core work.

As a software developer, I couldn’t help but reflect on how I might emulate this aspect of da Vinci’s approach. What does he possess that I lack? (This is meant humorously.) Here are some subfields I’m considering exploring in the future, even if I don’t plan to master them all:

• English
• Effective communication
• Mathematics
• Documentation writing
• Design
• Logic and algorithms
• Memory enhancement
• Nutrition and mental health
• Language acquisition across different families
• Physics
• Statistics
• Electronics

Just typing this list is exhausting! Clearly, being a polymath is no small feat.

Chapter 2: The Secrets of Mastery Revealed

The first video, "The Biggest Secret Of Leonardo da Vinci," delves into the hidden depths of Da Vinci's genius, exploring how his diverse interests shaped his monumental achievements.

In the second video, "Leonardo Da Vinci's Biggest Secret," viewers can uncover the methods and philosophies that made Da Vinci a timeless figure in the realm of mastery.