Why Hard Work Beats Talent Every Time

Discover why hard work beats talent and why it’s the sustaining factor that will push you to the top of the heap and keep you there!

Talent is the natural ability or capacity to perform a function. When you possess talent in a given area, you are gifted with the “knack” or “instinct” needed to perform a skill or display a specific quality. But this only means you have the “raw mechanism.”

So, you have the equipment or tools needed to perform the skills, but until you learn how to efficiently and effectively use, manage, and control these resources, you will not be able to perform or use your talents at the highest levels.

This is where “hard work” steps in. “Hard work” applied to your natural talents and instincts will take you to levels others may never attain. But talent alone will not do it…you must perfect your “talents” through “hard work” -­ practice, training and exerting effort.

If you do not take steps to gain experience, education, and training as it relates to your talent, your natural ability will not shine, and others will surpass your accomplishments.

For while talent is special, unique and your hidden gem, hard work beats talent and is the sustaining factor that will push you to the top of the heap and keep you there!

Why Hard Work Beats Talent Every Time

A. Talent needs fuel/energy (hard work} to shine brightly and remain vibrant.

A talent truly is a gift. It gives you a head start, but if you stop to smell the roses you will get beat to the finish line…you must keep churning. Simply look at successful people in the worlds of sports, art, or entertainment; they don’t sit on their laurels.

Instead, they are constantly honing their talent/craft and working to stay relevant in their field. For all their accomplishments and accolades, I think Michael Jordan (NBA Hall-of fame basketball player) and Tom Brady (NFL top player) are good examples of the importance of continuing to work hard even if you are gifted with special talents and natural abilities.

You can have all the talent in the world, but if you are not working hard to keep it active and demonstrate it to others, you will miss opportunities to achieve the level of success that you can reach. When you work hard, your talent becomes your wildcard – that hidden factor that you use to your advantage.

If you are not working hard, that talent remains latent and simply burns out slowly becoming like a candle without a flame. While it might look great on the surface, it isn’t providing any necessary or critical function – it becomes useless.

Much like a candle without a flame cannot light your way or keep you out of darkness, talent without hard work cannot consistently sustain a high level of success.

There are beautiful candles with wonderful scents that simply sit on a shelf or a table but rarely get noticed and don’t provide any concrete function or serve a truly useful purpose because they have no flame – they are lacking energy.

B. Hard work is the separating factor – the energy that fuels our skills, ambitions, desires, and talents to shine brighter than a diamond.

Hard work is the catalyst to winning under almost any situation. Hard work is that primary and sustaining factor that gives you the edge to make your performances exemplary and propel you ahead of the competition.

Hard work is the practice and preparation you use to hone and enhance your natural skills and abilities. So, hard work is the thing that gets to the finish line ahead of others.

Think of the tortoise and the hare. The hare had all the talent – natural ability – to outrun the tortoise. But the hare lost sight, neglected hard work and did not pay attention to how the competition was preparing and carrying out the task at hand.

The tortoise just kept his nose to the ground and kept pressing on, working hard and grasping the opportunity while the hare opened the door by losing sight of the finish line. In the end, the tortoise prevailed. The tortoise stayed focused; the hare lost focus.

The tortoise kept exerting effort at a pace he could handle while the hare took a break when one wasn’t really needed. By keeping his mind and eyes on the goals and remaining engaged in the endeavor, the tortoise prevailed despite the natural ability and talent of the hare.

The best actors work day in and day out to hone their craft and perfect the character they are asked to play. Musicians constantly play, write, and sing to keep their gift functioning at the highest levels. Athletes practice and practice to keep their game at the highest level.

Mathematicians and engineers are continually assessing or evaluating functions and formulas to create new methods or improving the methods we use. Doctors and lawyers are constantly familiarizing themselves with new concepts and rulings to use to stay ahead in their field.

You would be hard pressed to identify an area where simply resting on your laurels and never working hard to keep your talent functioning or finding ways to improve keeps you ahead of the competition. Hard work is a requirement for succeeding and staying successful regardless of your talent level.

Hard work beats talent every time!

While talent is the hidden factor and something of a wildcard that can be used as an edge to succeed, it is nothing without hard work. Hard work is the strengthening factor that keeps you going and performing at high levels for prolonged periods. Talent gives us a spark but hard work allows us to create a flame that will burn for a long time.

Talent can get attention and exposure. Your natural abilities can get you initial recognition and allow for possibilities and opportunities to come your way.

However, hard work is the factor that gives you the tools to grasp those possibilities or opportunities and then shape or transform them into realities.

Whether your talent is exceptional, or your natural ability is average, hard work keeps you viable and allows you to develop your potential so that your performance is above expectations.

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