Give up earlier

Talents can’t be taught. Stop trying to teach them to others or to yourself.

This mindset has thrown me for a loop in the past couple weeks, but I’ve settled on the conclusion that it’s freeing.

Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out. Try to draw out what was left in. That is hard enough.

First, Break All The Rules

It doesn’t mean people can’t learn things. Skills and knowledge are teachable. But trying to teach a talent leads to a long, bumpy road of frustration.

This means giving up earlier on low performers. If they’re missing talents the role needs, stop trying to coach those talents into them. Either find them a different role that fits their talents better or let them go.

It also means giving up on trying to make your children into something that they’re not. The data shows that parenting doesn’t do as much as we tend to think it does.

And finally, it means giving up earlier on yourself. Stop spending your blood, sweat, and tears trying and failing to force talents you don’t have. There’s power in making the best of the talents you do have.