The Z.E.R.O. T.A.L.E.N.T Approach to Success
Let’s start out by asking yourself this question:
How often do we identify success and attribute it to talent?
My Answer: All. The. Time.
As we dive into this topic, let’s wet our taste buds with a few notorious sports figure examples for reference:
Jesse Owens
Muhammad Ali
Wayne Gretzky
Michael Jordan
Tiger Woods
Usain Bolt
Michael Phelps
Kobe Bryant
(just to name a few)
When you truly start to think about this question in the context of these athletes, do you believe each one of these individuals would have been as athletically accomplished without their natural born height, genetic make-up, bone structure, or mass? … Maybe. Maybe Not.
But the bigger question, however, still lies; would they have achieved such great athletic feats without their willingness to put in the hard work to achieve their successes?
The truth of it is; talent does not always equal success, yet for whatever reason, we have decided this to be true. In artistic swimming specifically, it is easy to believe that we will or will not be successful based off of that genetic makeup deciding if we will have perfectly pointed toes and long beautiful legs without taking into account all the wonderful tools we have to improve our leg length appearance and ankle and toe flexibility.
In a number of recent studies on skill acquisition, it turns out we are born with very few natural born talents. Excellence then, is not an innate given skill, but developed with practice.
Now, I will say this; Talent can definitely play a role in our success. You can’t convince me that Michael Phelps’ height, shoe size, and wing span did not assist him towards being crowded the most decorated Olympian of all time. Of course this had something to do with it! But as I mentioned before, this is not the whole story and I would argue it is less important than the hype and clout we place on it.
Talent, much like the subjective scores the judges give us in artistic swimming, is out of our control. In order to be successful, we must focus our attention on the things we can master over time to ultimately climb that achievement ladder to success.
Alas, the Z.E.R.O. T.A.L.E.N.T Approach to Success Mantra was born.
This acronym was created to empower athletes to strive towards achieving success, in whatever form that may be, by drawing attention to 10 controllable behaviors which can significantly impact your ability to achieve success. The best part, you ask? None of these require even an inch of natural born talent!
Z – Zealous – (Passion) This trait is the most important trait in suffocating our fears that often keep us from our potential.
E – Effort – A behavior but also a mindset. Go the extra mile; it matters in the long run.
R – Ready – Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Only you will know how much time or space you need in order to do this. Practice this. Make it a habit and you will make the most of your talent.
O – Open minded – The ability to utilize coachable feedback to improve your craft is essential to your success. Be open to the constructive criticism to get you there.
T – Time – Punctuality requires organization and planning ahead which both lead to greater success.
A – Attitude – Maximize the talent you have and fuel the fire for your weaknesses. It is up to you (and no one else) to continue on your path towards success.
L – Language – How you move, act, and express yourself matters. Hold yourself accountable to your body language in an appropriate and professional manner to those around you.
E – Energy – Give your energy to your goals and you will see them grow. If you have more to give and you are not willing, then perhaps you have chosen the wrong path.
N – Never Give Up – Showing up isn’t enough. You must be consistent, disciplined, and diligent in your HARD WORK every day. This is not an easy task.
T – Team Player – Embrace the successes of others, become a better listener, and embrace and learn from feedback.
After reading this list, my hope remains that this fictitious idea that some people “are just born with it” goes away. Any doubt or thoughts surrounding reasons why you can’t are now reasons why you CAN.
If you haven’t bought in yet, I will leave you with the powerful words of Tim Grover, respected businessman, motivational speaker, world renowned personal trainer, and most notably recognized for his work with elite Basketball players: Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Dwayne Wade and author of Best Seller: Relentless.
Sources:
http://www.biggestglobalsports.com/greatest-athletes-all-time/4585509131
https://www.cheerconditioning.academy/single-post/successful-athletes-talent-or-training
https://mollyfletcher.com/zero-talent/
https://time.com/4652315/10-things-zero-talent/
https://quotefancy.com