Flashback six years. Shane crushed fellow nine-year-olds. While others ran like wobbly colts charging out of a barn, Shane was a dribbling, deking, scoring Adonis. Afterwards, you tell the young phenom he did, “AWESOME!” You add a compliment to Momma and Poppa Shane. Something they already know, but love to hear regardless, “Your son is amazing.” That’s all changed now.
Shane is still playing basketball but he’s lost his advantage. Did his talent go away? Nope. The natural talent didn’t disappear. Were there diminishing returns from Shane’s collection of kudos and shiny-gold-painted-plastic trophies crowding his dresser? Yep.
Frequently after the keynote presentation on reaching the Olympics in four years and relating that to big goals in short order, a perplexed parent approaches the book-signing table.
“Vince, do you have a minute?”
“Of course.”
“Our kid used to dominate in his sport and now has lost his edge.”
“When did you notice things get worse and how old is he now?” you ask, already guessing the decline was around 13 and the problem is painfully obvious at 16 or so.
“He was around 14 when he started to struggle. He’s 16 now.”
This is a common example of:
The misfortune of talent
without the pressure to excel.
People like Shane still have natural talent but ‘earned talent’ was left in the shadows of determined preparation and in the backdraft of other players’ superior work ethic. In some cases, the path to earned talent was all but ignored.
Shane’s parents were oblivious to why Shane didn’t make the high school Varsity team. It was awkward to see Momma Shane march over to the middle school coach and berate him for not putting her ‘talented’ son in. Shane had the misfortune of believing, “Boy, you’ve got talent” as the only step necessary to reach and stay on the highest podium.
The misfortune of talent, without the pressure to excel, is also evident in people who want to become professional speakers. Samantha gives a spirited presentation at the local Chamber meeting. She’s got talent. She makes the leap towards being a motivational speaker. The phone doesn’t ring. Chip is known for giving great toasts and spinning a tale like no other. He hangs his shingle in the keynote speakers biz. The lack of attention from meeting planners is keeping Chip up at night.
For people of any age aspiring to accelerate big goals, while sashaying past the misfortune of talent, the steps are simple:
Step One. Don’t believe people who say you're good. Their compliments are comparing you to other 9-year-olds or other toasters (the wedding speech kind, not the shiny one regifted by Aunt Lulu).
Step Two. Seek ways to earn more talent. Do what the competition is not willing to do.
Step Three. Put yourself in more pressure situations while you remind yourself of step one (you’re not that good) and step two (earn more talent).
Until next week, it's full speed ahead,
Vince
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