Today is August 12 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you remind yourself that determination is more important than talent?”
People who navigate the chaos understand that determination is more important than talent.
Unfortunately, people often stop dreaming or think that they are not able to achieve greatness.
The latest research suggests that for those who engage in deliberate practice, greatness is a possibility. Two books that specifically examine the theory of deliberate practice are Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success and Geoff Colvin’s Talent is Over-rated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else.
Both books examine how individuals achieved world-class mastery that put them at the top of their field. Gladwell’s chapter entitled “The 10,000 Hour Rule” identified that world-class performers, The Beatles, for example, spent approximately 10,000 hours working at their specialty to arrive at the top.
These were not overnight successes or people who merely exploited natural talent. Rather, they spent years focused on perfecting one thing. Colvin further supports Gladwell’s point and states three very important conclusions.
First, “everyone who has achieved exceptional performance has encountered terrible difficulties along the way. There are no exceptions.” Second, “what the evidence shouts most loudly is striking, liberating news that great performance is not reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone.”
Colvin also concluded that talent, IQ, and experience, once thought to be the three pillars of success, play a less important role than previously thought when compared to one’s drive, decisiveness, and grit. Both authors believe that “great performance is available to you and to everyone.”
Deliberate practice research indicates that long-term success requires a minimum of 10 years of engagement, coupled with grit, or the ability to persevere difficult situations and a willingness to adapt to challenges as they arise.
How often do you remind yourself that determination is more important than talent?