I think most of us tend to look at the success of others and think, “Well, they are just talented.” I could never do what he does ”. How is it that the Michael Jordans, the Steve Jobs, the Tiger Woods of this world are so extremely successful at what they do, while a lot of others languish in mediocrity?
There has been a lot of research in this area in the last few decades, so the answer is not a mystery. The common view is that one person succeeds because of some innate ability they were born with, and unless you are born with that ability, you are not going to be as successful as they are. In a book titled, ‘Talent is Overrated’ Jeff Colvin outlines the key to achieving greatness: specific practice over time. It is not the practice that most of us do when we hit a few balls on the driving range, it is focused guided practice that has as it’s goal improvement in a specific area.
Key to this focus is feedback. It is necessary to receive feedback as quickly as possible as you practice. It is exceptionally helpful if you have a teacher, a parent, a mentor, or tutor who can help you see where you are failing. It is not necessarily 24/7 focus, but a couple of hours a day every day over time can make you exceptional in whatever you are working towards. Note that failure is necessary if you are working towards improvement in anything: it means you are pushing the edge of your capabilities and will grow as a result.
Most of us have a model of learning that limits our capabilities. We view our brain like a big box that can only hold so much. We are afraid that when we learn something that is not useful to us at a future date that we are taking up valuable space that we will need at a later date. Your brain is not in danger of getting full. The more connections you make, the better you are able to learn new ideas and make new connections. It has been shown that learning a new language helps in learning other things as well. Learning the much maligned quadratic equation (especially it derivation) helps your brain with the discipline of learning in general. When you memorize a poem or even memorize baseball statistics, it helps your brain learn to learn, and that is what you want to improve. Mental games that you can use when you are bored or driving can help your ability to focus. The ability to learn can be improved with practice, but if you don’t practice your brain will become lazy.
At MaThCliX, our goal is not simply to help you get good grades, but to help guide you towards exceptional results in math and in your life. If you come in and do your homework, get some encouragement and leave, then you are not taking advantage fully of what can really help you. Instead of being happy with just what is assigned, ask us to guide you to what the next step would be to improve your abilities and disciplines.
We have access to the curriculum of most students in our area and can help with more focused practice in areas you want to improve and once you have mastered a topic, we can show you what is next and help you excel. Don’t be afraid to learn something new and difficult: that is how you stretch your mind and disciplines.
The principle of focused practice over time works in every area of your life and can help you become the best you can be in the areas you are called to be successful.