“Champions are made, not born!” Deliberate, disciplined, consistent practice is essential to “statistically and genetically improbable performance.” Achieving expert and elite status in business, or leadership in government or family or sports, requires work.
Associated with the work of psychologist K. Anders Ericsson, this research emphasizes the role of “no pain no gain“ to the vast majority of real life success stories.
According to Ericsson, exceptional abilities are not primarily the result of innate talent — but are developed through extensive and focused practice over many years[7]. This study suggests that with extensive, intelligent training and dedication, you too can achieve high levels of expertise in various fields.
The stories of perseverance and ultimate success are epic.
Colonel Sanders founded KFC at the age of 60, after receiving his first social security check. Despite his age and financial struggles, including sleeping in his car, Sanders worked tirelessly to perfect his fried chicken recipe and grow his business. His perseverance paid off when he eventually sold the company for $2 million, proving that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams.
Michael Jordan’s career is a testament to perseverance. Despite being cut from his high school basketball team, Jordan used this setback as motivation to improve. His relentless dedication to practice and improvement eventually led him to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time[6].
Sources
[1] A Champion is Made Not Born. – LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/e6H6SwSj
[2] Champions Are Raised, Not Born: How My Parents Made Me a … https://lnkd.in/ezswhdv7
[3] [PDF] ERIK ERIKSON’S THEORY OF IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT https://lnkd.in/eKdmzSHy
[4] Exceptional memorizers: made, not born – PubMed https://lnkd.in/eDxviaM4
[6] The Making of an Expert – Harvard Business Review https://lnkd.in/eUtfxV-H
[7] [PDF] The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert … https://lnkd.in/esrnsvd2
[2] 8 Inspiring Perseverance Stories to Make You Never Give Up https://lnkd.in/eVMq_YKM
[3] Overcoming Challenges: Athlete’s Personal Stories of Triumph and … https://lnkd.in/essxGP6X
[5] 7 Entrepreneurs Whose Perseverance Will Inspire You – Growthink https://lnkd.in/eUd6CkK6
[6] 10 Inspiring Sports Success Stories – Playo https://lnkd.in/eB6D-szH
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Shahryn Azmi
Again, I mention that the Erikson study showed champions are made, not born.
China won more Gold Medals at the Paris Olympics than the USA, but the USA won more medals overall, most likely because they were entered in more sports. China’s commitment to excelling in this way has roots in training children from a very young age, and this video shows how young and to what extent the small ones are pushed.
This is a follow up video from the one I posted last week. I decided to post this one because thw children here seem much more distressed and unhappy than the previous video. Are those tears of effort, or tears of abuse and fear? What’s it worth ultimately? We’ve all heard adults say “you’ll thank me one day” – really?
