Recently I stumbled across an article titled 10 Things that require zero talent and it got me intrigued. Could there be really some things that can set us apart besides not having a distinctive so called talent. Apparently so, we do not necessarily need to be that talented athlete nor the world’s greatest piano player to become a success in life.
It turns out that if we dedicate ourselves to mastering the 10 things that require zero talent we could indeed set ourselves apart from the rest. These things could be the difference between night and day in our career.
It is true that not all of us are born to be singing superstars or famous footballers, however, this does not mean that we give up on ourselves. The 10 things that require zero talent give us a lifeline to become men and women of distinction.This is because that not many people do these 10 things. By doing the things that many people are not bothered to do, we can become that unique person with that special something.
Without further ado, lets delve into these 10 things that require zero talent and see if we can indeed master them and climb up the ladder of success.
10 Things That Require Zero Talent
1. Being on time.
I think we all have good intentions and want to be on time. However, lack of forward thinking is what trips us up. The truth is there is no magic bullet to mastering this habit. It simply requires us to get ahead of time and plan ahead.
So if you have a meeting at 2pm in a couple of days, you need to know ahead of time the nitty gritty of your journey to this appointment. You will need to sort out what you are going to wear to the appointment what you are going to eat, what you need to take to the meeting, how you will travel etc. It is good to have a specific outfit in mind, get it out, check that it is as good as it should be. You don’t want to realise on the date that the outfit has a missing button or requires ironing.
What about if it rains, will your outfit still work? Planning ahead will make sure that you have ironed out any potential issues that may arise and cause delays.Not many people master the habit of being on time, therefore if you become the master of this habit you set yourself apart from the majority. Edward G Bulwer-Lytton puts it beautifully, “Punctuality is the stern virtue of men of business, and the graceful courtesy of princes.”
2. Work ethic
What is work ethic? Let’s start off by getting a definition from the experts. Here is one from indeed.com, “Work ethic is an attitude of determination and dedication toward one’s job. Those with a strong work ethic place a high value on their professional success. They exhibit moral principles that make them outstanding employees in any position. If you have a strong work ethic, you believe in the importance of your job and typically feel that hard work is essential to maintaining a strong character.”
So there you have it, people with a strong work ethic throw themselves wholeheartedly into their roles. They don’t go in half heartedly or just for the money. In the words of Steve Jobs, “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
We all know how work ethic paid off for Steve Jobs so we cannot argue with what can be achieved with a strong work ethic.
Donald Trump says, “Get going. Move forward. Aim High. Plan a takeoff. Don’t just sit on the runway and hope someone will come along and push the airplane. It simply won’t happen. Change your attitude and gain some altitude. Believe me, you’ll love it up here.” As controversial as he may be but the American president does have a point. We also know that his work ethic set himself apart to become the man the world over knows today.
3. Effort.Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.”
You may not be initially good at something but with the application of effort you can become a master. Let’s take a simple example of that fitness goal of 10000 steps a day. Initially this may be a challenge to accomplish however with repeated effort and constant practice, this will become an easily accomplished goal. Effort refines our skill set and not many people apply effort in what they do and by applying effort in our endeavours we can set ourselves apart.
Take people like David Goggins, the man was not born an athlete. In fact, if you look at his previous photos you would never think that the same man would run marathons. However, through sheer effort and a strong desire to achieve, David Goggins has become a talent.
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, ”
4. Body language.
You may wonder why this is on the list of 10 things that require zero talent but body language is indeed a skill. Dictators like Hitler had that strong body language that commanded respect and power. Even before he spoke a word, the ruthless dictator had masses cowering before him, simply because of the way he communicated with his body language. He did not avoid eye contact or bite his nails.
In the words of Debora Bull, “Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words.”
So if you want to give the impression of success then you have to move like a successful person. You may be a great teacher but if you come across as lacking in confidence no one will even give you the opportunity to open your mouth. It all starts with the body language.
5. Energy.
Where is your energy mostly directed? You will know where your energy is mostly directed through the thoughts you constantly think, the things you mostly talk about etc. The direction of our energy determines our direction in life. Our energy will come through how we do our job, how we approach problems in life and even our body language. Energy is infectious but it depends which way we are pointed. If you have high energy those around cannot fail to be motivated. On the other hand if you have low energy, you will just sap the motivation out of your peers. They will just not want to be around you and will make up excuses to be as far away as possible. When you engage in projects they just won’t fire up instead they will flop.
Therefore it is important to have positive energy and positive vibes.
6. Attitude. Attitude is everything. Earl Nightingale is the man who spoke strongly about how a positive attitude can in fact mean the difference between success and failure.
He said, “A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before the change.” When we have the right attitude we are positive and no matter what life throws at us, a great attitude will push us through. A unique trait that is not possessed by the majority.
7. Passion.
Passion is that burning fire in us that will keep burning no matter what. It is the fuel that propels us such that we feel unstoppable and we see any obstacles as merely little stumbling blocks we can easily navigate around. When you meet that passionate midwife you just feel it through the outstanding care they are giving. When you meet that passionate carpenter, you stand in awe of their amazing creations. Passionate people touch hearts with their passiona and they have a deep love for what they do beyond what they are being paid for.
Sabrina Bryan says, –“You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support.”
You may have had the saying, “Do what you love”, if you have no passion for a job do not do it because this comes through and you will only produce mediocre results. In order to stand out in what you do, find something you are passionate about and it is difficult not to excel in it.
8. Being coachable. The ‘I know it all’ trait is a terrible trait. Whilst confidence is indeed a good thing, it is important to be able to listen to what others have to say and be open to learning from others. There are learning opportunities everywhere, we learn from children, from our juniors, from those we may deem too old fashioned etc. When we are open to learn from others we pick up various nuggets of wisdom along the way and our thinking expands because of that. Others around us will wonder how we have come to know what we know but that is the power of being coachable. Those who stick ear plugs on and are arrongant in their self knowledge will remain where they are intellectually, while those that are like sponges will suck up knowledge and grow.
9. Doing extra. When we go the extra mile, we get ahead of the crowd. It is a very common human trait to want to do the minimum we can get away with it. Therefore in going the extra mile you are putting yourself into that top category. Jimmy Johnson says, The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” Our efforts do not go unrecognised. By doing that little extra, we become the masters of our profession and get ourselves into that top pyramid of high achievers.
10. Being prepared. When you are prepared, you are ready. It means you have thought ahead of time of all the contigencies. You have thought of worst case scenarios and planned for them. Those who have done project management will know that before a project is given the green light there needs to be a thorough assessment of all the contingencies that may get in the way of the project.
However, you do not need to be a project manager to apply this principle. Let’s say when you go out on that date, do you have cash just in case the card machine at the restaurant does not work?
When we prepare we become efficient, things go smoothly. I love this quote from Abraham Lincoln, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Instead of rushing into things, we take time to plan how we are going to do things, what we need, who we need to help us, the circumstances that may hinder us etc.
Here is another 2 quotes from Benjamin Franklin, I just could not resist to put, they are pretty self explanatory.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”―
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”―
10 Things that require zero talent- the take away lesson
What we can take from this list is that talent is not everything and if like most people you are not recognised for a specific talent, it does not mean all doom and gloom. Instead there are things that we can do to enhance ourselves. These are things not denied to anyone, each one of us can work to master this list of 10 things that require zero talent and as we strive for these things we become distinguished men and women.
Therefore regardless of where we are in life, what we do for a living, where we live, we can rise up by cultivating within ourselves the 10 things that require zero talent.
Did these 10 things that require zero talent delight or surprise you? Was there some you think should not have made it onto the list or perhaps others you think should have made it onto the list? Join in the conversation and let’s expand on the subject and potentially grow this list so we can all benefi regardless of what talents we were born with or without:)
