Skill vs Talent
Do you want to use every ounce of potential to achieve more? Do you want to succeed in life? If you are anything like me, you probably want more out of life. You want to succeed. You want to thrive. You want to prosper. Mediocrity is not an option.
Apart from knowing exactly what you want in life, the next strong determinant of your success is your ability to achieve your goals. Having goals propels you ahead of the pack. But you are not the only one with goals. There are others who want a piece of the action. It comes down to you vs. them. So how do you win? You win through ability.
Ability comes down to your level of skill and talent. Talent is God given while skill is learned. Actor Will Smith reckons that “Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft.”
I am Legend
Will Smith is our Inspiring Legend of the day. He is the actor of the movie “I am Legend”, a title that befits him.
I have watched all of Will Smith’s movies and followed his career since the days of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He has starred in many hit movies including Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Independence Day, Men in Black, Men in Black II, I, Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness, Hancock, Enemy of the State and Hitch.
Most of us would say that Will Smith is a talented actor, and he is. But he has a different take on this. He says “I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked. You may be more talented than me. You might be smarter than me. And you may be better looking than me. But if we get on a treadmill together, you are going to get off first or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple. I’m not going to be outworked”. Will Smith has an incredible work ethic. He applies it to his work and exercise with the same vigor. It amplifies his talents.
When he first went to Hollywood, like other aspiring actors, he was not taken seriously. He was seen as just a rapper who had been lucky to have a breakthrough with a TV show and nothing more. But that did not dampen his spirit. He vowed to be the best actor in the world and got to work on himself.
First he analyzed what the top grossing movies had in common. He realized that they all had special effects and involved strange creatures and a love story. He chose his movies carefully based on his intended goal. His record speaks for itself.
He works harder than most actors. What appears like easy delivery is a result of hours and hours of practice. As a result, Will Smith became the only actor in history to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the US domestic box office. That takes more than talent.
What about You?
There are things you are naturally good at. There are things that you do with ease that others struggle in. You may not have recognized it, but you have your talents.
The first step you should do is to take an inventory of your talents. What are you good at? Are you good with people? Are you a good problem solver? Are you a good writer? Are you good in music, dance, athletics, drawing etc?
Once you recognize what your talents are, and decide on the direction of your efforts; get to work. It is time to raise your skill level. It takes hours upon hours of practice to be really good in something. Race drivers do not rely on talent alone. Great writers do not rely on talent alone. Great mortgage brokers do not rely on talent alone. They put their heart and soul into skill development. Persistence is the name of the game.
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race – Calvin Coolidge.
We take some skills for granted but they took hours of practice to develop. Walking, brushing your teeth, personal grooming, typing, reading etc. They all took time, and so will the other skills you need.
Learn from Will Smith and put in the hours to develop your skills. Find a mentor or a coach to help you improve your skills. Even world class athletes need coaching too.
The difference between being average and world class is not talent. It is relentless skill development. What have you done today to develop your skills?
Conclusion
A whisper of talent can lead to a roar of achievement. Will Smith turned his talent to roaring success through an incredible work ethic and skill development. What skills can you develop to improve your prospect for prosperity? The time to act is now.
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