Talent vs. Ability
“I’m not as talented as…” “He is so much better than me.” “I will never be able to beat her.”
Have you ever had one of these thoughts about your ability? How hear your athletes talk this way?
Do you sometimes feel at a disadvantage because other athletes have much more talent than you?
There is a big difference between talent and ability. Talent is an innate skill or capacity to perform a certain activity. Talent is present in a person at the time of birth.
Ability is what you are ABLE to do. It may sound the same but there is a subtle difference. Ability is the power to accomplish something… it requires work.
Talent does not necessarily lead to success.
Some of the most talented athletes in the world never live up to their potential…
Alternately, there are countless stories of athletes who worked, against all odds, to achieve great success.
The three things that bring success to light are:
- Belief (“I have the ability”)
- Hard work (“I’m willing to do whatever it takes”)
- Mental toughness (“Nothing will stop me”)
Part of mental toughness is maintaining a high level of confidence. And if you want to keep confidence high, you don’t want to look around and compare your skills to other athletes…
Do you focus on others ranking, experience, or wins? Do you think other athletes are faster, stronger, or bigger than you?
Why does this hurt your mental toughness?
Making comparisons to other athletes–who you think are better than you–only hurts your confidence because you put others on a pedestal above you!
When you make comparisons to other athletes, you intimidate yourself! I call this “self-intimidation.”
Top athletes do this for greater mental toughness:
Top athletes don’t focus on other athletes and wish they had what others have….
Instead, they focus on their own abilities and talents. They focus on their warm up and how to prepare mentally and physically for competition–not what others are doing.
Top athletes know why they deserve to feel confident and they focus on these personal attributes.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Two Attributes of Mentally Tough Athletes
- How Athletes Can Be Mentally Tough
- The Importance of Mental Toughness
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