The Myth of Natural Talent

This one is about Talent versus Hard Work.

Maybe you’ve already read about it or heard it, but if you can still think of even a single person on this planet as being talented, read on:

We all have seen people who say or think that I can never be as good as ‘he’ is, in some task. He is a natural. He is born talented.

Well, let me tell you that there is no such thing as Talent.

There is only Hard Work.

Period.

People who seem to be excellent and natural at doing something have toiled day in and day out for far more days than you have even tried. Most people don’t know that they have worked so hard at it because once they’ve mastered it, you can’t see strain on their faces while they do it.

They’ll give you a shrug and say “huh, this? this is child’s play”.

Listening to them, let’s say even you want to try and do it. You try. If you succeeded on your first try, maybe you were just lucky or you have a good working mind.

But if you fail, you start chastising yourself for being incompetent to do a simple task and then you start doubting yourself. Why was I not able to do that? Am I not smart enough? Am I not thinking properly? Is my thinking process impaired?

Am I dumb?

What you have not realized is called the ‘truth’.

And if you want to know the truth, read this old saying which says —

“The master has failed more times than the student has even tried”

Therefore, practice.

The only reason why some people can start doing something and be initially good at it because of their natural inclination towards that thing.

Even such people can’t be masters if they get lazy and stop practicing.

In the process of working on a task, there is something that you must not tell anyone, including yourself. If you do so, you’ll fail. Don’t tell your friend that I am not as talented. That I don’t have the time. That I don’t have the money. Save yourself those excuses and start working hard on what you really want to achieve in life. If you really want to do something, you will find a way. Don’t let anyone discourage you or steer you away from your aim.

Know that you have the power to change your life. It’s all in the mind. Even if you start today. Even if you think today is already late. Start today and keep working with unparalleled dedication for a lot more time in that field than anyone else anyone has ever known to have been working for in that area.

Be true to yourself, otherwise someday, I promise, you’ll pay for it. Even if you feel that you are at the very start and the others have gone so far they seem impossibly out of reach. If you give years of hard work and dedication in that field, you will surpass the competence of any living organism who ever was able to do that task. In fact, I think that every person is born capable of doing anything. It’s just that their interests differ.

To be good at anything, you really have to believe in yourself to the core or your heart. Lay the foundation stone of ‘I believe in myself’ in your heart today. It’s not as easy as you think to stand firm on that belief. So, make it a part of your character.

You can do anything. Remember that.

But, to really achieve mastery in a particular task, don’t leave it until you’ve completed it. Either you’ve done something or you haven’t. Same goes for knowledge, sports, music, or anything. You name it. There is no such thing as a 90% completed task. It’s not done and you know it. Similarly, there is no such thing as half-knowledge. Either you know something or you don’t.

But all your effort will be worthless if you give up in between. Therefore, delete the phrase ‘I Give Up’ from your mental dictionary permanently.

“No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you’re still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying” — Tony Robbins

So, if you want to be good at something, start by taking a single step at a time. But only in one direction. And keep going.

Remember this line which I read earlier today on the Internet:

“Success is 20 steps in one direction, not 1 step in 20 directions”

Additional tip: To maximize your efficiency for maximum output of your hard work, work smart as well.