Did you know that genes only play a very small part when it comes to genius ability? So, it doesn’t matter what genes we inherit from our parents, we still have the ability to improve ourselves to ‘genius’ level – whether it be our intelligence, our sporting ability, our artistic or even musical ability. Modern science has now revealed that:
Intelligence is not fixed Talents are not innate gifts – but the result of a slow accumulation of skills No one is genetically designed into greatness and few are biologically restricted from attaining it
This groundbreaking research means that WE ALL have the ability to improve and become a genius at pretty much any skill of our choosing. So – if genes don’t matter for much, what does make a difference? It’s been proven that there are distinct key themes for achieving genius ability. Over the last 3 decades psychologists have looked at a huge variety of high achievers, including golfers, nurses, typists, gymnasts, violinists, chess players, basketball players & computer programmers. Here’s what they found in common across all ‘types’ of achievers:
Practicing a new hobby/sport/mental discipline actually changes your body. There are physical changes in the muscles, nerves, hearts, lungs and brains of those showing profound increases in skill in any domain. People are not skilled at EVERYTHING. People who are amazing at one particular skill don’t automatically become good at other skills. E.g. poker players can remember hundreds of card positions in sequence but have an average memory for everything else. Brain power excels. Even among sports athletes, changes in the brain have the most profound effect on performance. Short-term intensity cannot replace long-term commitment. Change takes place over long periods. It does not happen overnight.
So many of us doubt ourselves and don’t even try to learn new skills – usually because of fear and a lack of faith in our own ability. Geniuses really are no different to you or I – they’ve just put in the hard yards and believed in themselves. Now you know you have a genius lurking inside – what will you do differently?
Some practical steps you can take to become a genius
Embrace continuous learning. Look for ways to continually improve yourself. Take courses, regularly review your progress and look for ways to improve Learn to love failure. Successful people understand that failure is a prerequisite for success. Each time you fail, you’re one step closer to reaching your goals. Let go of fear of failure and you’ll achieve so much more than you thought was ever possible. Read more. Reading everyday will vastly improve your vocabulary, your knowledge within your chosen area and will set you ahead of your competitors. I like to devote half an hour to reading every day. Set goals. Goals are essential if you want to succeed. Goals motivate you and provide the energy you need to commit in the long run. Know your strengths. You’re much better off focusing on your strengths and not worrying about your weaknesses. As Einstein said: “everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Find a coach or mentor. It’s important to have someone to work with you on your goals. Even Tiger Woods and Brian Tracey (who is over 70 yrs old) still have a coach to help them get achieve their goals! Don’t expect success overnight. Chances are you won’t become a genius overnight. Extraordinary skills aren’t learned in a week. Only a long-term commitment and hard work will get you results.
(Photo credit: Hand Showing 3D Pixel Brain via Shutterstock)
