These Three Factors When Combined, Make You Exceptional
"Even if you cannot be exceptional, you maximize your potential to be the best that you possibly can!"
We all read biographies of our heroes and come away feeling inspired. How is this book different? The Exceptionals have a few things in common. This book is about the three factors that is common to every one who wants to be a better version of themselves.
There are 3 factors that must come together to make someone exceptional
Factor No 1: Heredity
Heredity is not a limitation. You must leverage it to your advantage
My first reaction was disappointment. The essential characteristics inherited by all human beings are physical structure, reflexes, innate drives, intelligence, and temperament. It does not have to be a limitation. If you choose right, it can be a great source of advantage.
Michael Phelps is widely regarded as one of the greatest swimmers of all time. One of the factors that contributes to his success is his arm span, which is longer than his height. This gives him an edge in the pool, as he can cover more distance with each stroke. Had Michael Phelps chosen a career as a soccer player, instead of being a swimmer, he would not have leveraged the hereditary characteristics.
Howard Gardner suggests we are born with eight different intelligences - Spatial Intelligence (useful for architects, designers, photographers etc); ballet dancers have strong Kinesthetic Intelligence; Musical Intelligence gives a person the ability to enjoy rhythm and music; Linguistic Intelligence is used by journalists and writers; Economists leverage logical-mathematical intelligence; Leaders use interpersonal intelligence; Botanists use naturalistic intelligence; Intrapersonal Intelligence refers to the ability to understand oneself, one's emotions, motivations, strengths and weaknesses.
Self-awareness is necessary to make better choices.
Nobel Laureate Prof Amartya Sen work leverages his strong logical-mathematical intelligence in his work
Factor 2: Intense Effort
The Exceptionals all work extraordinarily hard at improving their craft every day. Djokovic trained for 14 hours a day. Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, has said that she trains for about six hours a day, six days a week. That means she spends about 36 hours a week or 1,872 hours a year on her sport.
Dr Amartya Sen won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998. One example of his work is his concept of "capabilities approach", which focuses on the freedom and opportunities that people have to achieve their well-being, rather than just their income or resources. He has applied this approach to various issues, such as poverty, inequality, gender justice, democracy and human development.
Factor 3: The Ecosystem
I found this to be the most powerful idea of the book. Talent thrives in hubs. When like-minded people interact and demonstrate their skills, they set higher standards for everyone around. The town of Jupiter in Florida, US (pop: 64,000) is home to more than 50 of the world's top golfers. Rift Valley, Kenya has the highest concentration of the world's best marathoners.
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Take your natural talent and then work harder than others. Leverage the world of information around. Find yourself a coach. Create the ecosystem that will let you achieve your potential. The Exceptionals is a thin book packed with doable ideas.
Email me: abhijitbhaduri@live.com
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