Note: This article is from blogger CHRISTINE CARTER, who shares her personal experience in achieving success.
We used to think that a person's genetic makeup, talents, and innate passion determine their level of success. We referred to them as "gifted" and believed that their success was more a result of their natural abilities than their own efforts.
It is depressing to believe that our ability is a gift from God, so what if you lack talent? And because researchers enjoy studying high achievers, we are aware that the vast majority of successes are the result of a person's dedication, hard work, and passion rather than natural talent.
Famous psychologist Angela Duckworth has a theory about success. She began by defining grit as perseverance and passion to achieve long-term objectives. Achievement, according to Duckworth, is the result of skill and effort rather than IQ or natural talents (achievement = skill x effort), similar to how we calculate distance (distance = speed x time). She further explained her theory as follows:
Distance is a good analogy for achievement, but what is achievement? It is the progress from the starting point toward achieving the goal, and the farther the goal is from the starting point, the greater the achievement. Just as distance is the product of speed multiplied by time, achievement is the product of skill multiplied by effort.
Both putting in a lot of effort and having an amazing skill can compensate for a lack of the other, but neither can if there is neither. Duckworth's theory that innate ability has little to do with why people go from being just good at something to being really great has been supported by researchers across a wide range of disciplines.
Although most of us find it difficult to accept, psychologist K. Anders Ericsson, author of several well-known studies on the subject, contends that even the majority of physical characteristics, such as athletes' larger hearts, faster-twitch muscle fibers, or more flexible joints, are actually the result of specific types of effort, even superhuman skills, like the perfect skill of exceptional musicians; It has been demonstrated that it grows with training rats. Although it may be difficult to accept, this is a fact.
Building the necessary skills and achieving high performance is not just about an ancient achievement. People who achieve greatness typically share three characteristics:
- Deliberate practice and rest over time.
- Self-interest and passion-driven practice.
- Overcoming obstacles to achieve success.
The combination of these three features forms the basis of grit. I'll concentrate on the value of deliberate, continuous practice in this article.
Meticulous Practice
High performers rely on practice, as high achievers put in a lot of meticulous practice time. This does not imply playing the piano for the sake of having fun; it is a meticulous practice to achieve specific goals, such as being able to play a piece that is beyond their abilities. They must first practice a new piece and repeat it several times.
Unfortunately, meticulous practice is rarely, if ever, enjoyable. In fact, the difference between those who are good at their chosen activity and those who are better at it can be found in high performers' willingness to participate in difficult or frequently very boring exercises.
For example, there are several ways to learn how to spell words, including simply paying attention to the words when reading for pleasure. Another way is to put yourself to the test in front of your friends and family, or the third way which involves studying a long list of words by yourself.
In the end, it transpires that individual study, the third option, is the most efficient method to improve one's spelling.
People who are committed to achieving long-term goals are more likely to continue with the individual study which is significantly more effective than other approaches, as grit gives us the ability to do what is right instead of just what is fun.
Continuous Practice
High performers also rely on continuous practice for a long time. High achievers, according to Erickson, "rely on practice in many areas and use it almost every day, including weekends." You won't become a good runner by jogging for 30 minutes on the weekends, but daily practice can help. The only way to become a great artist is to practice painting every day for a while. Indulging in colors occasionally won't do it.
Real masters develop their skills over time, specifically after 10,000 hours of practice or after 10 years of committed work. As most successful people spend an average of 10 years practicing, experimenting, and gaining experience before they become truly accomplished people, and even brilliant children train for 10 years or more, journalist Malcolm Gladwell discussed the famous ten-year rule in his best-selling book Outliers, where Ericsson's research made a wonderful illustration; Bobby Fischer became a chess professional at the age of 16, but he was training for 10 years or more before that. Tiger Woods has been playing golf since he was seven years old, and it took him 15 years to win the US Amateur Championship as the youngest ever.
Last but not least, there is one more thing: when people pursue their highest goals and priorities, they depend on meticulous and continuous practice, as well as on strategic rest. Strategic rest is about living deeply, even while working hard, and it is a crucial component of success that is frequently disregarded in our culture all the time.
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