Performance & Motivation
Become an expert by deliberate practice and grit
“Do not talk about giftedness, inborn talents! One can name great men of all kinds who were very little gifted. They acquired greatness, became ‘geniuses’... They all possessed that seriousness of the efficient workman which first learns to construct the parts properly before it ventures to fashion a great whole; they allowed themselves time for it, because the took more pleasure in making the little, secondary things well than in the effects of a dazzling whole. ”
talent is overrated
In our culture we are obsessed with talent. There is a popular narrative that human potential is limited and that only some lucky individuals have an inborn 'talent'. These so-called natural geniuses are glorified. Many of us hope to discover our own talents and give up an effort when there is no evidence of particular aptitude. This narrative is misleading and unhelpful, as predefined ability does not exist and people can actually develop and grow their potential. Human beings are incredibly adaptable and we need to take advantage of this opportunity to grow our potential. How can we do this?
Deliberate practice
Anders Ericsson, the expert on expert performers, posits that only by deliberate practice we can achieve expert performance and continually build our potential. In order to grow, we need to challenge the status quo, and move from a 'good enough' philosophy, to striving to do better, every single day. For such continued growth we need to keep working on the edge of our abilities, because our brains and bodies respond to challenges by developing new abilities. This is not easy, nor comfortable, but necessary to avoid a plateau in our performance.
Deliberate practice requires a field that is relatively well-developed and where there are objective performance measures, as well as expert performers whose strategies can be emulated. Deliberate practice consists of the following aspects:
- Developing the skills that experts in your field have already figured out and for which training techniques are available
- Working outside your comfort zone
- Setting up well-defined and specific goals
- Working deliberately: complete focus and conscious effort
- Acquiring feedback
- Leveraging effective mental representations
- Building skills in a step-by-step fashion
In short, you need to figure out who is an expert performer in the skill you aim to increase. Then you need to figure out what these experts do that makes them so good. Lastly, you must come up with training techniques that allow you to work towards doing it too, according to the guidelines of deliberate practice. Focus, feedback, fix it.
Now we know how to practice, you might wonder what will make you actually motivated to put in the long hours and hard work for deliberate practice. Grit what best describes this long-lasting motivation and is key to high performance and success.
What is grit?
Angela Duckworth defines 'Grit' as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. Gritty people know what they want, are determined and stick to their goal. They show up every day to practice, go outside of their comfort zone, and keep learning despite the obstacles.
“Grit is more about stamina than intensity.”
How can we manage to stick with something, you might ask? An important foundation for keeping the ability to persevere, even in the face of disappointments, is a deep passion for what you have sought out to achieve. It is about choosing to work on those goals that you care so deeply about, that you are willing to stay loyal to it for years on end. As Jeff Bezos puts it:
“Whatever it is you want to do, you’ll find in life that if you’re not passionate about what it is you’re working on, you won’t be able to stick with it. ”
This reinforces a virtuous cycle, in which becoming an expert in one domain becomes more interesting than being an amateur at various things. Substituting nuance for novelty.
How gritty are you?
Curious to find out how you score on Grit? Take Angela Duckworth's Grit Scale and find out!
How to increase grit?
Not happy with your Grit score or want to go from Gritty to even Grittier? The good news is that you can take matters in your own hands and work to increase your Grit. There are four factors that you should leverage to increase Grit:
- Interest: The intrinsic enjoyment in your chosen domain. Do not expect to stumble on your passion, but actively work to build it. First you need to try different things and find out what you like to do and think about. Then, based on those initial triggers, you should develop skills in this domain. After which you can start uncovering nuances by deepening the skills.
- Practice: Showing up daily to work towards your goals. Use deliberate practice to work towards your goals, this includes: Clearly defining a stretch goal, concentrating fully, acquiring immediate and informative feedback, and repeating this over and over again with reflection and refinement.
- Purpose: Finding out how your work matters, especially in relation to the well-being of others. Ask yourself the question why you are doing what you are doing and how you can make a positive impact on society. Perhaps find a role model who you'd like to emulate.
- Hope: Fostering a growth mindset, that helps you keep growing even when you are knocked down. Ask yourself every day what you can do to learn and become better at your craft. By joining a great team with a gritty culture, you can spearhead internalizing a growth mindset, and it can become a virtuous cycle.
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