Does Hard Work Really Beat Talent?
Without structure, it isn’t easy to achieve anything. Being successful requires discipline, not just luck.
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Or does it?
The most legendary athletes in American sports history are also some of the most tenacious, determined individuals we’ve ever witnessed.
Yes, there are several highly accomplished athletes with physical abilities the ordinary human being cannot fathom.
I mean, why else does social media call 26-year-old NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmp0 the “Greek Freak?”
Giannis dunked on the whole Raptors defense 😂 pic.twitter.com/RhLdB0ML4k
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) January 2, 2018
If you watch him and feel discouraged, don’t be.
Many athletes, both in college and in professional leagues, have their careers because they grinded their way to the top.
Here are a few:
Tom Brady
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has played in the NFL since 2000, despite being written off by many teams, scouts, and pundits when the New England Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the draft more than two decades ago.
Brady looked nothing like the more physically talented prospects entering the league at the time:
.@TomBrady's infamous NFL combine picture celebrates 20 years this week 🤣 pic.twitter.com/DdXlozxyvR
— ESPN (@espn) February 26, 2020
When you see this photo of arguably the greatest athlete of his generation, feel encouraged. And know that having an indomitable will and A+ work ethic does yield success, in some cases, more so than having sheer talent alone.
It’s frustrating when you’re always hustling, and one of your teammates is dogging it, yet they get the start while you sit on the bench. But if you were to stop working hard, you’d only disappoint and hurt yourself.
You’ve got to remember that you’re out there playing your sport to better yourself. You’re on the team because your coach saw something in you that added value to the team.
A big part of it could have been your dedicated work ethic.
And that work ethic is what fuels you every day to sharpen your abilities (talent). When talent diminishes at a certain point because of age, hard work doesn’t drop off unless you allow it to.
Talent needs hard work to sustain itself over time. College and professional coaches love the raw ability (potential) in a prospect. But they’ll quickly move on if the athlete doesn’t apply the discipline to draw the most out of their gifts.
Serena Williams
At 39-years-old, Williams is still playing professionally.
She’s won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any athlete in pro tennis of the Open Era.
Five to six years ago, Williams withdrew from multiple tournaments because of chronic knee and shoulder injuries. Her career looked finished.
But Williams showed the grit and resolve that carries any athlete a long way, winning the Australian Open in 2017 and breaking the record for all-time singles titles.
And she did it whilst pregnant.
Kobe Bryant
Matt Barnes, who played with Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers for two years, shared a story on his podcast All The Smoke that when Barnes was in college at UCLA, he watched Bryant work out despite nursing a broken right hand at the time.
“I remember the one year he broke his right hand, so he was up at UCLA doing all left-handed workouts,” Barnes said. “That was the year he came back shooting left-handed all the time. He was doing his whole workout left-handed, and I’m like, ‘This dude is a monster.’”
Fans around the league thought Bryant looked like a transcendent player with his ability to be ambidextrous.
But Bryant developed such a skill by working extremely hard, according to Barnes.
So, does hard work really beat talent?
No, hard work should never beat talent because talent never stops working hard.
Talent isn’t enough anymore; it needs to be nurtured to take you where you want to go.
Nurturing means hard work.
Will talent hold you back from partying until two o’clock in the morning when you should be asleep to train hard the next day?
No, that’s discipline.
Is talent what’s keeping you after practice or games to put in extra time in the pool, weight room, or gym?
No, it’s work ethic.
How can you maximize talent with hard work?
Without structure, it isn’t easy to achieve anything. Being successful requires discipline, not just luck.
So consider this:
- Create a list of goals
- Avoid distractions
- Learn from mistakes
- Don’t be afraid to fail
Read More:
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Does Hard Work Really Beat Talent?
Without structure, it isn’t easy to achieve anything. Being successful requires discipline, not just luck.
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Or does it?
The most legendary athletes in American sports history are also some of the most tenacious, determined individuals we’ve ever witnessed.
Yes, there are several highly accomplished athletes with physical abilities the ordinary human being cannot fathom.
I mean, why else does social media call 26-year-old NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmp0 the “Greek Freak?”
Giannis dunked on the whole Raptors defense 😂 pic.twitter.com/RhLdB0ML4k
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) January 2, 2018
If you watch him and feel discouraged, don’t be.
Many athletes, both in college and in professional leagues, have their careers because they grinded their way to the top.
Here are a few:
Tom Brady
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has played in the NFL since 2000, despite being written off by many teams, scouts, and pundits when the New England Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the draft more than two decades ago.
Brady looked nothing like the more physically talented prospects entering the league at the time:
.@TomBrady's infamous NFL combine picture celebrates 20 years this week 🤣 pic.twitter.com/DdXlozxyvR
— ESPN (@espn) February 26, 2020
When you see this photo of arguably the greatest athlete of his generation, feel encouraged. And know that having an indomitable will and A+ work ethic does yield success, in some cases, more so than having sheer talent alone.
It’s frustrating when you’re always hustling, and one of your teammates is dogging it, yet they get the start while you sit on the bench. But if you were to stop working hard, you’d only disappoint and hurt yourself.
You’ve got to remember that you’re out there playing your sport to better yourself. You’re on the team because your coach saw something in you that added value to the team.
A big part of it could have been your dedicated work ethic.
And that work ethic is what fuels you every day to sharpen your abilities (talent). When talent diminishes at a certain point because of age, hard work doesn’t drop off unless you allow it to.
Talent needs hard work to sustain itself over time. College and professional coaches love the raw ability (potential) in a prospect. But they’ll quickly move on if the athlete doesn’t apply the discipline to draw the most out of their gifts.
Serena Williams
At 39-years-old, Williams is still playing professionally.
She’s won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any athlete in pro tennis of the Open Era.
Five to six years ago, Williams withdrew from multiple tournaments because of chronic knee and shoulder injuries. Her career looked finished.
But Williams showed the grit and resolve that carries any athlete a long way, winning the Australian Open in 2017 and breaking the record for all-time singles titles.
And she did it whilst pregnant.
Kobe Bryant
Matt Barnes, who played with Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers for two years, shared a story on his podcast All The Smoke that when Barnes was in college at UCLA, he watched Bryant work out despite nursing a broken right hand at the time.
“I remember the one year he broke his right hand, so he was up at UCLA doing all left-handed workouts,” Barnes said. “That was the year he came back shooting left-handed all the time. He was doing his whole workout left-handed, and I’m like, ‘This dude is a monster.’”
Fans around the league thought Bryant looked like a transcendent player with his ability to be ambidextrous.
But Bryant developed such a skill by working extremely hard, according to Barnes.
So, does hard work really beat talent?
No, hard work should never beat talent because talent never stops working hard.
Talent isn’t enough anymore; it needs to be nurtured to take you where you want to go.
Nurturing means hard work.
Will talent hold you back from partying until two o’clock in the morning when you should be asleep to train hard the next day?
No, that’s discipline.
Is talent what’s keeping you after practice or games to put in extra time in the pool, weight room, or gym?
No, it’s work ethic.
How can you maximize talent with hard work?
Without structure, it isn’t easy to achieve anything. Being successful requires discipline, not just luck.
So consider this:
- Create a list of goals
- Avoid distractions
- Learn from mistakes
- Don’t be afraid to fail
Read More:
