Ever notice that there are things you might want but you are just mediocre at it? Most of the things you attempt, you will be mediocre at, for that matter. Your body, brain and coordination simply underperform compared to a person who naturally steps in and makes it happen.
Being mediocre at something doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. But you may not want to delude yourself into thinking you are going to get big bucks or a championship for your performance.
Fit matters. Your talent and aptitude for a certain thing matter a great deal. I liked John Maxwell’s assessment.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, you can only move up 2 spots with hard work.
If you are a 2 at something, then with hard work, you can become a 4.
The world does not pay for 4’s, especially when there are plenty of 8’s and 9’s around.
But if you are a 7 at something, you can become a 9 at something with hard work.
You can waste a lot of time with good intentions trying to become a 4.
We have this strange folklore in our culture that if we work hard at something, then we can become anything we want.
It’s a myth. Has that played out in your life?
The better approach to finding success is:
- Get brutally honest with yourself. Look at how good or bad you really are. We all think of ourselves a little better than others around us see. You can’t get where you want to go if you lie to yourself.
- Take inventory. What are you naturally a 7 or higher at? While we may be mediocre at many things, we have an inventory of things that we are likely very good at.
- Pick 2. Get really good by showing up every day and practicing those 2 things that are a fit. It is what you are good for, what you are made for.
It’s not a hard process. But you do have to be honest.
And for those areas you don’t have talent, partner with people that can augment you.
If you want to find out what those areas of strength are, consider getting tested.
What can you let go of? What can you commit to more?
