I was never a huge basketball fan, but after Kobe's death I spent more time into his background. He was an absolute machine in how hard/how long he worked and the results showed. It's seems like its like that with so many great people who are just so passionate about one thing they will work their bones achieving that goal. I've done fairly well for myself without having to work too hard but pushing myself the extra step is always daunting. I can't imagine working 12 hours straight, or forgoing friends/family for extended periods of time. But my personal stated goals will simply not happen unless I focus fully on them for the time being. I'm starting to realize you can't have it all and maybe people are just built differently. What do you think? TC 130k
It's about what you value most in life. Professional success or family and friends? There is no bad answer, but if you don't chose the path that really aligns with you, you'll end up unhappy. It's not to say that the choice is either/or. There are gradients. You have to decide those you want to fine tune it
I think its several factors: 1. You have to love what you are doing 2. You need competitive nature/even with yourself in terms of perfectionism 3. You need to be good at it naturally or learn it faster than others Other things such as good team to motivate you, good rivalry with others, etc etc will get you to that level of excellence. Just putting in the hours may not get you the results at the end of the day (at least it wont be very efficient time spent)
Thank you for your post. One thing I would point out is that the question (as stated) is about reaching the top of your potential. Your #3 is a bit more related to the Kobe example than to the actual question.
Oh, I meant it in a way like if you are naturally good at solving problems or can learn new coding languages, you will have better chance of reaching top of your potential rather than being in a field you arnt good at or cant learn quickly compared to others. For instance, I feel like I am good and will learn quickly in STEM fields, but if I have to make cold calls or manage a creative marketing team or w.e, I'll most likely never reach my potential. On the other hand, if you thrive in soft sciences, you may not be at your top potential working in engineering. It's just aligning what you love to do with what you are best in.
Man that sucks
Yeah I think I agree with this. Just looking around its obvious nature did not distribute attributes fairly. Until we get to the point where we can alter our physiological form and mental abilities at will or fine tune our own genetics it will always be that way
Why do humans obsess about achieving greatness? What's wrong with having a mediocre life, with mediocre salary?
Nothing. In fact Id say most people desire that, or at least their actions and goals reflect it. But how many people actually fantasize about being mediocre? I think a lot of people want to be good at something. Its just that being too good means you have to sacrifice other things that would ultimately make you happier. So I think its just the way we are bred or raised.
Life is not a race. We could coast and still have a decent life if we take greed out of our equations. They tell us that being successful would bring happiness but they never teach you how to measure happiness.
The logical answer is yes while you need balance, as well, of course. But reaching full potential != happiness necessarily.
Hmm... The posts here are largely conflating the question with the motivating example. Maybe OP should clarify whether she/he is talking about greatness or maximal self actualization. The question as stated is about reaching "the absolute top of your potential," which, depending on the person, might mean being able to tie their own shoes or might mean solving the world's energy problems.
I feel that the key is to work smartly. Focus on one thing at a time and see it to completion. Pick high priority items and work single mindedly to achieve it. This applies to even non work related things like studying, leetcoding etc.
Kobe once said in an interview (paraphrasing) that you're lucky to find your passion in life, and you're extremely lucky to find it at a young age. It's easy to work hard at something if you enjoy it and are passionate about it
I noticed the same thing. It depends what you value some people can be content with being mediocre, others are wired to be great no matter what they do (ex: Leonardo Divinci). All in all, being very interested in what do is critical or else you won’t survive the multi year journey. Robert Greene’s Mastery talks a lot about this
I realize you either have such extreme latent talent you can demolish tasks with little effort or such extreme drive you will keep going until it is demolished. Humans that have both however, are on a different level. I've always been told I was "talented" (subjective interpretation) but incredibly lazy. Getting older I fear I may have left a lot of potential on the table and it only diminishes the older I get
There’s a lot of truth to that (could be genetic, or the nature to be competitive as splunk mentioned below) Most people have the opportunities to be talented in a certain dimension/intelligence (i.e Math, art, sports). It’s up to you to put in the “10k hours” and seek mentorship from a master to reach the highest level. All of the greats pretty did that.