Finding Your Talent Through Persistent Struggle -Part I

Emerging insights in the age old nurture versus nature debate from neuroscience research highlighted in the book, “The Talent Code” by Daniel Coyne.

Nature versus nurture

The proverbial nature versus nurture debate is nothing new. An exploration of the relationship between genetic inheritance and the ability for a behavior to be enhanced by environment.

This is often centered around talent. Especially around athletes that we idolize and sometimes wonder if it was all the practice or was it the genes. Some say a combination of both.

Daniel Coyne flips this debate on its head by studying talent around the globe in his book, The Talent Code. And with journalistic prowess, something he is known for in sports writing, offers updated scientific findings that appear to signal that the debate on the nature versus nurture subject is far from over.

Investigating ‘hot spots’ around the world

Coyne takes a journey across multiple of “hotspots”; locations around the world where talent is produced at an unexpected rate. He takes a closer look at historical figures once thought to be talent born.

With supporting evidence in neurology and evolution he starts to challenge those old notions. Coyne investigates using multiple examples across different genres of activities and puts together several sources of researchers to summarize what appears to be cutting edge neurological outlook on how we adapt and learn.

A Search for Universal Truth

Just like any other universal truths that tend to appear if we zoom out and look for patterns, other disciplinary fields and philosophies are attempting to articulate similar phenomena.

The scientific method in social science aims to identify and operationalize phenomena and continue to test how they interact with socially relevant factors. When multiple fields start to come across similar phenomena, patterns begin to appear.

Coyne makes several connections and highlights phenomena correlating with talent observed across all kinds of athletes, professionals, and performers alike. He finds support from a variety of scientists across disciplines and schools of thought and helps bring interdisciplinary understanding.

Deep practice, ignition, and master coaching

The Talent Code can be divided into three main environmental and behavioral requirements that appear to be correlating variables:

• Deep practice
• Ignition,
• Master coaching

All of which appear to be environmental factors that speed up Myelination

Myelin and Myleination

Myelin is the fatty tissue that wraps around neuronal fibers and acts as an insulation factor. Just like the insulation around electrical wiring, the development of myelin around a neuronal pathway increases speed and accuracy of neurons being fired.

Myelination occurs when a skill is being worked on consistently. Skill can be neurologically interpreted as a cellular insulation that wraps neural circuits and that grows in response to certain signals.

Myelin is referred to as the “Deep Practice Cell” based on the requisite behavior engaged in to foster myelin growth.

Deep practice

Deep practice is unconventional compared to what most of us are told in order to learn a complex skill like playing an instrument or learning a new sport.

Rather than spending hours and hours practicing, those using this strategy slow down and zoom in and out from focusing on the whole product and smaller steps while honing in on errors in a mindful and nonjudgmental manner.

Dr. George Bartzokis, UCLA neurologist and myelin researcher explains,“The revolution is built on three simple facts:

(1) Every human movement, thought, or feeling is a precisely timed electrical signal traveling through a chain of neurons — a circuit of nerve fibers

(2) Myelin is the insulation that wraps these nerve fibers and increases signal strength, speed, and accuracy

(3) The more we fire a particular circuit, the more myelin optimizes that circuit, and the stronger, faster, and more fluent our movements and thoughts become (p. 32)”

Ignition and master coaching (to be continued in part II)

But, in order to unlock the motivation, certain signals are required to ignite passion and with the help of master coaches ­­a person has a better chance to go against the idea of nature versus nurture and work towards a skill that is like building muscle through repeated practice and targeted struggle.

Coyne discovers a variety of different but similarly functioning biological cues embedded in each of the talent beds and the level of cues necessary for keeping the flame going for each of the individuals working towards their goal or skill.

For ignition to last, these biological cues need to be activated and this can even come down to the language or the verbal cues instilled by the coaches or support system.

Slowing down and breaking up parts of a skill and deeply practicing each step. Setting up environmental and biological triggers for the new skill to be maintained and “ignited” even when obstacles or significant struggles manifest.

All the while being coached with precision teaching where the coach is -

• specific and timely with feedback.
• Providing verbal encouragement towards fostering a ‘growth mindset’ attitude tied to Carol Dweck’s work.
• With the accompanied socially mediated positive reinforcement in the form of short and specific encouraging phrases to help maintain motivational push.

As opposed to a fixed mindset, viewing a talent as either having it or not, a growth mindset is one where we narrate our progress in such a way that we are making progress and to error is to grow and expand.

***More about coaching and ignition in part II***

Struggle is a biological necessity for improvement

The talent code reveals the notion that our motivation is in a vault in the brain and in order to access it the settings have to be just right for the release of the motivation to occur.

In order for it to be released, there must be an evolutionary justification, whether we are in danger or are in fear of our survival.

This is where primal cues come in. It is almost necessary that there is struggle in order for the vault to signal survival mode and release the drive that is of limited capacity.

Rely on consistent efforts, NOT genetic disposition

If you want to pursue a skill that you think you don’t have the natural talent for — reframe talent as a skill to be learned through consistent efforts rather than genetic disposition and go for it.

We all have the blueprint to push ourselves to a max. Each of has a set of unique challenges, baseline skills and geneticist disposition. That’s why it’s important not to compare yourself with others.

Use yourself as a baseline and measure your improvement against that baseline — not comparing yourself to others (unless you are using them as a model to replicate).

This notion directly relates to writing and thought it to be an excellent message to those that don’t think they can be a writer.

Basic concepts to remember

Basic knowledge 1: All actions are the result of electrical impulses sent along chains of nerve fibers

Basic knowledge 2: The more those circuits are developed, the less we are aware we are using them and the action becomes automatic (automaticity)

Basic Knowledge 3: Automatic skills feel natural — that does not happen without immense struggle and consistency.

Helpful Q&A

Q: Why is targeted, mistake-focused practice so effective?

A: Because the best way to build a good circuit is to fire it, attend to mistakes, then fire it again, over and over.

Q: Why are passion and persistence key ingredients of talent?

A: Because wrapping myelin around a big circuit requires immense energy and time.

If you don’t love it, you’ll never work hard enough to be great.

Have you ever felt discouraged that you may not have the genes to pursue your passion?

Thank you for reading. Please take the time to comment and follow and support me here:

With peace and love,

Micah Rivers