You’re probably familiar with the saying ‘Hard work beats talents’. I could say that the phrase is often used by untalented people who try to compensate for their lack of what naturally comes to those they admire, but that could be perceived as me throwing shade. And I’m not here to throw shade in any way, shape, or form. I actually agree with the statement.
Hard work will beat talent every time. Especially if that talent is not developed to its full potential, and equipped with the right techniques that can take an individual from amateur to professional. That is, if the individual in question would like to elevate their raw talent and cultivate their craft to the next level. Here is a tip to develop your talents.
Know your strengths to develop talents
Think of talent as a head-start. If you’ve got a talent for languages, learning Italian is probably going to come easier to you than it may do for other people. And things that we’re good at are often the things we enjoy, because it’s easier to see the rewards for our effort and it doesn’t feel as much like hard work.
Having a talent for something doesn’t mean you’ve instantly mastered it, or that you immediately know all there is to know. You can still work hard – however the work you put in will maximise your efforts. By knowing your strengths, you can decide where to put your focus.
Reframe your focus
It’s natural to compare yourself to other people. It’s also a trap. You are a unique blend of talents and skills – nobody else is quite like you! When you compare yourself with others, you often pick an instance of you at your worst and someone else at their best. That’s not going to be a fair comparison, and is only going to make you unhappy.
Instead of focusing on your faults, turn your attention to your strengths. Often, what you might think of as a weakness may actually be related to a strength you might not have realised – for instance, if you struggle to make small talk at parties, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a talent for talking – it could simply indicate that you do better at connecting one on one with close friends, which is a talent in itself.
Look for inspiration
Watch videos or study the history of your craft to see how others have taken it to the top. Look toward the future when you are the best at what you are doing; dreaming about accomplishments to come will keep you motivated during the daily grind you face now.
Adopt a guru
Finding a coach or someone who is already a master with the talent you seek to perfect can advance your abilities in leaps and bounds. Most people love to share knowledge and teach others so act eager to learn and grateful for their time; the lessons they impart to you will be invaluable to the process.
Adopt a childlike curiosity
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”- Albert Einstein
If you have been with a child, you are familiar with their tendency to ask questions incessantly. A sense of curiosity is a deeply ingrained biological blueprint allowing a kid to understand the world around them. Research conducted by Ranganath, a psychologist at the University of California, shows that curiosity can even increase long-term memory because of its direct association with the hippocampus, a small organ in the temporal lobe responsible for information processing. These are potent reasons to reconnect with your childlike inquisitiveness in order to make your talents work for you.