We are a culture obsessed with celebrities of all ilk. From movie stars to musicians to athletes, we look to those seemingly at the top of their "game" and we venerate them. We speak of the hard work, dedication, and talent they possess that leads them to the heights of success. Think about those "heroes" you celebrate, and I'm willing to bet you've ascribed a level of almost supernatural talent to their persona as a means of describing their success. This ascribing of magical talent betrays a deeper truth. As Nietzsche once said, to call someone divine means we do not have to compete.
Daniel Chambliss, in his 1989 article The Mundanity of Excellence: An Ethnographic Report on Stratification and Olympic Swimmers, offers us some valuable insights on the nature of excellence in all aspects of our lives. The first takeaway essentially debunks the nothing of the 10,000 hour rule, which was interestingly popularized by Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers almost 20 years after this article. Chambliss speaks of the importance of qualitative differentiation. In essence, excellence is not simply a product of doing more of the same thing than others (i.e. putting in the practice hours). With an examination of competitive swimming at all levels as a dataset, Chambliss recognized that excellence came instead as a result of doing things differently. Putting in the time pays off in more limited ways, of course, but the type of work and the decision-making matters more. Anyone can get up at 4am every day to practice their craft, but who among them are excited for the opportunity and maintain a positive mindset when that alarm goes off?
In looking at countless examples of success, we certainly see plenty of time and dedication. I can spend years consistently training or practicing and still not see any significant improvements. However, if I'm critically examining the elements of that practice and making small changes throughout that result in my time being spent qualitatively differently than that of others, then there is a greater chance that the excellence will come. It's easy to go through the motions and feel as though you're putting in the work, but are you constantly assessing your behaviors and decision-making to see if you could be doing those small steps more effectively, efficiently, or accurately?
The second finding in Chambliss's research was that talent, in and of itself, does not automatically lead to excellence. Other factors, such as wealth, opportunity, biology, and coaching, play a significant role in unlocking talent. If this sounds familiar, it's because we're talking about privilege. Once again, we are reminded of the myth of meritocracy and the recognition that simply working hard isn't enough. Talent is ultimately an imprecise label to describe a combination of dedication, motivation, and outside factors. Simply achieving success often leads to the assumption of talent, even if there is no other evidence to support it. As is the case, talent becomes less a matter of natural ability and more a capacity to overcome natural disability.
Lastly, Chambliss speaks of the mundanity of excellence. We continue to be a culture obsessed with shortcuts and magic ingredients for success. At the end of the day, superlative performance is merely the confluence of dozens of small skills and activities. There are no secrets to success. The little things are in fact the only things that matter. Our motivation to continue with something is rather mundane, and thus we have an opportunity to look for small wins along the way. This is not to say we can't have a larger goal in mind, but if we are only focusing on that singular goal, then the steps to get there won't carry the weight they need to in order for success to present itself.
So, as you consider the goals you have for yourself, whether they be personal or professional, remember these key factors. If you're going to put in the time, then consider how you're spending it. Recognize and assess where talent meets circumstances to fully understand the hurdles you face to achieving your goal, and remember to do the little things. It's easy to look to others' success as being out of our league and hold onto that as a rationale for not pursuing our own goals, so don't let that misguided assumption get in the way!