Why Talent Matters and Why Not
Conor Mcgregor Returns to the UFC
Did you hear the news?
The one and only the greatest of all time, the notorious Irish man Conor McGregor is coming back to the UFC's Octagon.
What a gifted man, some fans say. He is a real talented fighter. Well, in interviews, Conor McGregor shares a different opinion:
There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. Talent does not exist, we are all equals as human beings. You could be anyone if you put in the time. You will reach the top, and that’s that. I am not talented. I am obsessed.
Conor McGregor
At least the internet says that. I couldn’t verify the quote, but I like the tone in it. If you, dear reader, have a link to the source, feel free to post it.
Why do I like Conor’s quote?
Excuses
Growing up in the countryside in the 80s of the last century was a tough thing compared to these days.
The environment was pure hostility. People tried to talk to each other out of “too adventurous ideas.” It was in the midst of the Austrian mountains, no internet, and winters were quite nasty.
Getting lost somewhere in the dark in winter at minus 20 to 30 degrees Celsius could mean death. Potentially. I am glad my mother never found out the story of the night when I was bored at a New Year's Eve party 10 minutes past midnight.
Most of the people were drunk or making out. I wanted to talk. Well, nobody around to talk. So I decided to walk home. January 1. 30 kilometers — 6 hours of walking. No navigation, no internet, no mobile.
It was a lot of fun. And nobody knows until today.
The common theme back then was — “you have no talent. Do not do that”. Knowing that humans were socialized in a really hostile environment for centuries, I understand why the narrative sticks around. Living in a small village in the mountains a few hundred years ago, the local community's social approval or disapproval could be the difference between life or death.
In 2020, there is almost no real danger except our own stupidity, like walking home at minus 20 something degrees on New Year's Eve. 30 kilometers from a mountain top.
But the thing is, the narrative is written in our brains and keeps us from reaching our full potential.
People in my hometown threw the “no talent” narrative on everybody who wanted to try something new. Stay home. Just don’t do anything. You have no talent.
Bullshit. It is an excuse for laziness.
Talent initially really doesn’t matter. You want to do something. Try it, put in the work, and success will come.
It is a natural law. It is the natural result of the process of learning by trying. So stop making excuses.
Whenever you hear your past speaking: Do not do it. You have no talent. Forget it. Go to work.
Success is a process.
Secondly, Conor points at hard work. I mean, google Conor McGregor training. Most likely, a lot of youtube videos are coming up. This guy is putting out a training regime that is simply unique.
Maybe not as unique as Bruce Lee`s was. Yes, I admit. I still think Conor McGregor wouldn’t survive one round in the Octagon with Bruce Lee. But we will never know.
As we are on Medium, let’s have a look at the writer's profession.
I loved writing. Since I can read. Very often, I heard:
“You have no talent. Don’t write. It spares you the experience of disappointment”.
Today I found this quote:
It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.
Robert Benchley
Well, it was someone from more than a hundred years ago. And we are in 2020.
Thing is. It still is true today.
Do what you love
You love writing and believe you have no talent? Give up the belief and start writing. Here is the only recipe that will bring you success:
- Find what you love
- Ignore what other people say
- Do it 8 hours a day
- and success is inevitable
If you love writing, sit down every day for a few minutes and write. Increase what you did every month. Set the bar higher.
Did you write 3 articles on medium in November? Averaging 100 words per day? That’s great.
In December, sit down and continue writing. Set the bar slightly higher. Let's say averaging 150 words per day and 4 published articles.
In December, you increase your threshold further. While doing so, you will sometimes come into a flow state and reach a much higher target than expected.
Let's assume you flow into writing, and your goal was 150 words per day and 4 published articles. Due to flow, you hit 30 articles publishes and 1,500 words per day.
Should you increase next month's target to 31 articles and 1,600 words per day? No, you shouldn’t.
Please set it to 200 words per day, 5 articles. Why? Because bad days will come. Always plan for those days when everything goes wrong after delivering a 31/1,600 month. Even when everything fails, you still will manage 5/200.
Let's sum it up. The only way to success is hard work. It would be best if you got to work every day, and eventually, you will become successful in your path.
Will you automatically become the next Conor McGregor or Stephen King? Most likely, no. Why?
I love Martial Arts and training. Hence, I am 46 years old. And no matter how much work I put in, I won’t survive an Octagon fight with a 20-year-old well-trained guy. Its biologics. So we have to be realistic in our goals.
Does it mean I am less talented? No. It still doesn’t matter.
I enjoy working out. So I will continue doing that.
Same with writing. It gives me fun and pleasure.
And you should do what you love too.
Since 1999 I am an executive, advisor, and coach for companies in various industries. I am specialized in Corporate Development and Finance. From seed rounds to IPO level. I am focused on life science since 2006.
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