In our last +1, we talked about Emerson’s year-to-year growth in chess.
I thought out loud with you as I tried to wrap my brain around the contributing factors to his growth and concluded that THE factor at least tied for first was the fact that Emerson had a VERY clear Heroic Target he was VERY excited to hit.
He knew what he wanted. We WOOPed It. Then he got to work.
And…
He worked hard for a FULL YEAR.
And…
As a result, he made remarkable progress.
In that +1, I casually referenced a little equation.
I said that…
With the support of me and his Mom and his coach, he got to work.
His Talent x Effort produced Skill.
His Skill x more Effort produced Achievement.
As you know if you’ve been following along closely, that “Talent x Effort = Skill; Skill x Effort = Achievement” equation is from Angela Duckworth and her great book, Grit.
As we’ve discussed, but it’s always worth repeating, Angela tells us that Talent (which she defines as the speed with which you gain skill) matters.
But NOTHING will come from Talent UNLESS you put in Effort.
As they say…
Hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle!
And, as Angela says: “Without effort, your talent is nothing more than your unmet potential. Without effort, your skill is nothing more than what you could have done but didn’t. With effort, talent becomes skill and, at the very same time, effort makes skill productive.”
So…
Talent x Effort = Skill
Then…
You need to put in MORE Effort such that…
Skill x Effort = Achievement.
As Angela says, “Effort counts twice.”
Now…
Angela also talks about PARENTING in her book.
As we discuss in the Notes on Grit (check those out! seriously, check them out!), the word parenting literally means “to bring forth.”
Our job as parents?
To “bring forth” the best within our kids.
Our job as leaders/coaches/teachers?
TO BRING FORTH the best within those we are blessed to serve.
Now…
Angela offers some wise parenting advice.
She tells us that she and her family have what she calls “The Hard Thing Rule.”
In short, everyone in the family picks something challenging that they’re committed to mastering.
For Angela, it’s her psychological research. For her husband, it’s his real estate development. For their daughters it includes things like ballet and piano.
Three rules…
- You need to deliberately practice daily.
- You can quit but not until the “season” is over—no quitting on a bad day mid-way thru. Gotta finish.
- You pick your hard thing—you need to be intrinsically interested in it!
Today’s +1…
How can YOU be an even more wise parent and help bring forth the best within your kids?
(Don’t have kids? Awesome. How can you help bring forth the best within any nieces/nephews you may have and/or kids in your community?)
Oh! And don’t forget to bring forth the best within yourself.
Ultimately, that’s the ONLY way you’ll have the best shot at helping others do it within themselves.
It’s Day 1.
We’re ALL IN.
Time to bring forth the best within each of us.
LET’S GO.
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