Talent is Overrated

A good friend Kevan Gale, co-owner of StilStudio in Dedham, Massachusetts, recommended the book Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin a few years ago. I was pretty much occupied with raising a family and other things at the time, and couldn't give it the attention it deserved.

The basic premise of the book is that while most people believe that great performers like concert pianists, NFL football players, and chess masters are born with special talents that make them likely to succeed in their chosen fields, there is no evidence to bear this out. Long term studies indicate that high performance in any given field is a matter of dedicating long hours of what the book calls "deliberate practice" for many years, even a lifetime. Deliberate practice is defined as a little different than what most of us actually do when we practice, which is a little haphazard. Most people practice doing what they do well and avoid practicing things they aren't good at. Deliberate practice involves, among other things, focusing on those very things that might not be enjoyable, in order to improve, especially those skills that don't come easily or feel natural.

Another concept Colvin mentions at this point is that great performers have a deliberate, organized training program. They take advantage of teachers and trainers, even at high levels. They don't blame the weather or the phase of the moon if their golf shot goes awry, they take responsibility and work hard to improve so it doesn't happen again.

Perhaps most importantly, the book closes with a chapter on motivation, taking the reader to the very edge of research in the field and gazing out over the precipice. There is considerable discussion of the multiplier effect, and the origins of the drive to excel. The multiplier effect is the idea that early encouragement and/or success in a particular endeavor could lead to more confidence, and more desire to practice. This could in turn lead to improved performance, and gradually become self-replicating.

Finally, the book supposes, it comes down to what your goals are, and your personal beliefs.

What does all this have to do with yoga? It occurs to me that the hours spent in deliberate, focused practice on the mat, are an excellent training endeavor with transferable skills. The lessons we learn on our yoga mats, that our minds and our bodies can transform with time and gentle, persistent attention, can be taken off the mat and, forgive the cliche, into the world. If you can learn to open your hips, to meditate, to perform a headstand or a crow or any other pose that at first seems almost beyond your abilities, then you can master a business skill, be a more effective parent, or any other endeavor that seems worthwhile. Namaste!