Five things you need to know about the Talent Worship Trap:
We all worship physical talent - and physical talent as an indicator of peak performance potential is over-rated.
There’s a stark contrast between what spectators think drives success (talent, size, speed) versus what many elite athletes and coaches actually attribute their success to (hard work, commitment, resilience, values, consistency, determination, respect, honesty, integrity etc.)
Talent worship creates a harmful illusion that success is predetermined at birth - when the reality is that the factors that can lead to success can be taught, can be coached, can be parented.
What appears as "natural talent" is usually the result of specific choices made consistently over time by athletes who have learnt the “power of choice” - and who have figured out that it’s the choices they make that determine their athletic destiny.
The great news….if you or your child or your athlete or your student have even been labelled - UN-TALENTED - who cares!!! You can learnt all you need to know to become as successful as you choose to be!!
Wayne Goldsmith
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