hard work beats talent
Hard work beats Talent
Some people would argue that the top musicians or sports people they see on TV or wherever it might be are different to themselves but in fact that is false. What we see is the finished product then assume they have something special but in fact all they’ve done is more work. Many times we put down success to having specific genetic inheritance. The innate capacity of a performer is different to innate ability. Genetically a person may have an innate capacity, but without the determination and deliberate practice and desire etc, they will not develop their ability.’ Certainly capacity can feed ability, but capacity in and of itself will never be enough to perform at the highest levels
There are two types of mindsets, the first being a fixed mindset and the other a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is basically saying to yourself you can’t do certain things because it’s not in your capabilities. With a growth mindset a person might know they might not be able to achieve a task at that given time but that doesn’t stop them from continuing to work towards achieving whatever it might be. What we all see in the top performers of the past and today is that they all share a growth mindset.
Physical endowment is visible. Shape and size, agility, and strength are all visible. So too are deliberate practice and training. You would think that the fact that training produces outcomes would dispel the myth of natural ability. After all, training demands that effort be made which leads to subsequent improvements!
Let me share some examples from the history of sport.
Muhammad Ali was not considered a natural fighter. He had the wrong body proportions, for a start. While he was quick, he lacked strength and he lacked the classic moves. Carol Dweck, in her book ‘Mindset’ writes that Ali “boxed all wrong. He didn’t block punches with his arms and elbows. He punched in rallied like an amateur. He kept his jaw exposed. He pulled back his torso to evade the
Some people would argue that the top musicians or sports people they see on TV or wherever it might be are different to themselves but in fact that is false. What we see is the finished product then assume they have something special but in fact all they’ve done is more work. Many times we put down success to having specific genetic inheritance. The innate capacity of a performer is different to innate ability. Genetically a person may have an innate capacity, but without the determination and deliberate practice and desire etc, they will not develop their ability.’ Certainly capacity can feed ability, but capacity in and of itself will never be enough to perform at the highest levels
There are two types of mindsets, the first being a fixed mindset and the other a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is basically saying to yourself you can’t do certain things because it’s not in your capabilities. With a growth mindset a person might know they might not be able to achieve a task at that given time but that doesn’t stop them from continuing to work towards achieving whatever it might be. What we all see in the top performers of the past and today is that they all share a growth mindset.
Physical endowment is visible. Shape and size, agility, and strength are all visible. So too are deliberate practice and training. You would think that the fact that training produces outcomes would dispel the myth of natural ability. After all, training demands that effort be made which leads to subsequent improvements!
Let me share some examples from the history of sport.
Muhammad Ali was not considered a natural fighter. He had the wrong body proportions, for a start. While he was quick, he lacked strength and he lacked the classic moves. Carol Dweck, in her book ‘Mindset’ writes that Ali “boxed all wrong. He didn’t block punches with his arms and elbows. He punched in rallied like an amateur. He kept his jaw exposed. He pulled back his torso to evade the