As a kid growing up, I thought the best football (soccer) players were the ones who could do the most impressive tricks. They could juggle the ball, perform perfect rainbow kicks, and score the most spectacular goals. It was like magic.
I spent most of my time practicing these tricks. I got pretty good at them. But then I didn’t make the football team in high school.
Looking back, I realize I got it all wrong. What I thought it took to be a good player was not the reality. It wasn’t all about the sexy skills and tricks. It was mostly about subtler, less celebrated skills like positional awareness and stamina.
The same applies to almost every industry or field that I can think of. The best CEO isn’t the one who has the best public image. The best artist isn’t the one with the best drawing skills. The best singer isn’t the one with the best voice.
There is so much more to excellence than we are led to believe. It’s not about the sexy stuff. Perhaps we’ve come to believe that because the sexy stuff is what sells. It’s what makes the highlight reels. But it’s not what makes greatness.
I think it’s important we understand the reality of what it takes. Because if we did understand we could: 1. decide whether that field of interest is something for us and 2. if it is, then focus on developing the right skills to be the best that we can be.
I couldn’t agree more Yash. Most times things are not what they appear to be!