Does it Work ?

As it turns out, without knowing what I was going to find, I read the last three books in the "wrong" order. Having read the three of them, I now realize that a more convincing and structured argument and conclusion could have been construed and reported should I have read them exactly in the opposite order like

The argument I refer to is assembled as follows:

Talent Is Never Enough. You identify a series of traits that may modify your behavior and therefore, the way you approach your pursuit of things you consider important in life. This book suggests a handful; but we should not be restricted to them; others are possible too.

Talent Is Overrated. Having identified these traits, you practice relentlessly your new-learned habits; up to a point when the “may modify your behavior” becomes a “WILL modify your behavior”.

The Talent Code. Now that you have a new skill, it is neurologically and biologically coded; it is therefore protected and automatically triggered when necessary within a few nanoseconds without thinking about it.

So in a short sentence, you unveil a trait you are not good at or want to get even better at, you practice it and finally, you integrate it to your skill set. You no longer have to think when you need it; it is there. It is now part of your "skills memory".

Had I faced an argument like this one 20 years ago, I would have stated the boring nature of its content by saying: what is great or even new about it?

But the nature of the traits used to assemble this argument has now transformed my current view. We are not talking necessarily about physical (sports or athletic) or even intellectual (brutal intelligence) traits. We are talking just about anything that you may consider to be a great asset to have in your skill set.

You can decide and practice to believe, and enhance your optimism ensuing from your plans. You can practice to be more passionate, and become a more intense person. You can practice to practice (no redundancy here), and become a relentless practitioner of not-so-available skills, etc. You are in the driving seat to conquer (or at least try) what you consider would advance you from average to Great Performance.

Does it work ?

I will share here a few personal experiments.

A. Five years ago and being 48 years old, I could type at a decent-but-not-great speed of 24 words per minute using only 5 fingers - three from my left hand and two from my right hand (yes, I am left handed). That was enough for my then current typing needs. Then, using my belief, initiative, practice, perseverance and teachability I enrolled in a self-learning ten-fingers typing course. I am now typing this blog entry at a 50-words-per-minute rate and using all ten fingers (yes, five from each hand, no feet involved yet); I more than doubled my typing performance. To be honest, I did not think that at this age, I could have improved so much in a very physically oriented activity such as typing; at the time it simply looked unachievable.

B. That was a good physical test of the concept. I then needed a more pure brain-based trait. So at the beginning of this year, my curiosity (another interesting trait) pushed me to determine whether at this age (I will turn 53 this month) I could still learn a third language (my native language is Spanish); and enrolled in a Portuguese personal class imparted by a great teacher (thanks Virginia). I could say that I can now speak and listen at a conversational level – although my Brazilian Colleagues may think otherwise. Granted, this also was a convenient move for my current professional activity.

C. Intrigued by my ability to engage (identify a trait) in new brain-based activity, practice it and to be able to sustain it (remember the Talent Code), I decided to practice other not-so-physical traits. How about tolerance?, or my ability to be a better listener?, or my ability to improve my personal/family life? Or simply, my ability to smile more often. I made a start and it works! While I am far from great at it yet, upon deliberate practice, I no longer have to think about certain things that have now become automatic responses (replacing other similarly automatic but incorrect ones). I believe that it is going to get even better.

I think it does work.

P.S. I now only wish I had read these three books in the right order; but it is a fair price to pay in return of what I have learned and understood out of studying Talent and Great Performance. With this warning in hand, others may find it suitable to read them in the right order.