Good at many things/Great at nothing... Is this a common problem?

[Wongboy]

I have a similar problem. Specifically, I find that it is hard for me to stay motivated to continue improving once I have reached a certain level of competence at an endeavour.

When I start a new activity, it is exciting, there is alot to learn and it is easy to be motivated. As a result, I will tend to obsess on that activity. After a while, I have reached a comfort level or a plateau and new levels of achievement are fewer and farther between. As a result, I start to get bored and frequently drop interest in the activity. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

However, it is nice to achieve at a high level in something that people will pay you for. I have found that fear is a great motivator for this. Every time I find myself struggling to be motivated at my career, I drive by a homeless shelter / trailer park and contrast my lifestyle with others. This provides alot of motivation to "suck it up" and focus on my work.

I also constantly look for new projects and things that can be improved in my job. Fortunately, I have a job where I have this flexibility to see something that needs fixing and am allowed to go ahead and get it fixed (as long as I use my spare time). In other words, I am constantly looking for new challenges which naturally keep my interest. This has the added bonus of causing me to be viewed as valuable by the people who are paying my salary. Its a win-win.

[godofgamblers]

People are constantly overestimating themselves, much like a few of the responses in this thread. World class is one in a couple million, maybe a couple hundred thousand. A lot of people judge themselves by saying I pick up these things relatively fast compared to those around me, so I must be better than them and if I apply myself, could be world class, but choose not to. There's a lot of things wrong with this statement. If i just picked up a game and beat 10 people who have been playing casually but for a while at it, I would think I have potential. However, look how small 10 is compared to the million necessary to be world class. I used to think I have unique thoughts, but I realized 9/10 times someone else is thinking the same thing, but never voiced it out. So I'm going to further assume that I'm more similar to a lot of you than we realize and assume the aforementioned scenario is somewhat true.

Of course this doesn't always apply, but it's something to think about. When you think you have the potential to be world class at something, think about how many people you're better than, think about how many people are better than you, before deciding if you have the potential. Most likely you don't. There are people born with the ability and drive to work 16 hours a day, sleep 4, and continue working. If you were not born like that, there's a 95% chance you're not going to be world class at anything meaningful. Of course, if you really want to be world class, you could always pick something not so popular, such as sand castle building.

Bottom line is, it's really easy to say motivation and hard work is all you're missing to be world class, but fifty other million people are thinking the same thing. Most of us will have to admit we can never nor ever had the ability to become world class at anything, because by definition, it is extremely hard to achieve and is only meant for those brought up in the right environments and utilizes their full potential.

Edit: Really, just look at a million people. Watch a video tape of the New Year's ball drop at New York. If you can't find a single person in that crowd that can beat you at something, then maybe you're world class. It's a lot of goddamn people.

[rothko]

hercules,

[ QUOTE ]
I play piano, won international prices, but i know i will never be a pianist, because i can`t play (from nature) a certain combination of notes (only piano insiders can understand)...

[/ QUOTE ]

i am a piano insider, but don't know what you mean. please explain. just curious.

[rothko]

i have a different perspective to all of this. i seem to be good a lot of things, but great at nothing, as well. my frustration, however, rather than believing laziness is keeping me from immortality is the more realistic notion that even if i dedicated myself to something i would still not achieve a level of mastery that would be significant. that is what is truly troubling.

"i should apply myself, really concentrate and own this endeavour."

"what's the point? for all that trying you'll still be a waste of space."

[CarlSpackler]

[ QUOTE ]
i have a different perspective to all of this. i seem to be good a lot of things, but great at nothing, as well. my frustration, however, rather than believing laziness is keeping me from immortality is the more realistic notion that even if i dedicated myself to something i would still not achieve a level of mastery that would be significant. that is what is truly troubling.

"i should apply myself, really concentrate and own this endeavour."

"what's the point? for all that trying you'll still be a waste of space."

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have that negative attitude, then you will never be great at anything.

The bigger issue, imo, is that even if you have a positive attitude, and dedicate 10+ years of your life to achieve greatness in some endeavor, there's absolutely no guarantee that you'll become great or world class. The odds are definitely stacked against you. It's a huge gamble to undertake such a quest.

Take golf, for example. How many people are there in the world right now working their butts off trying to become regulars on the pga or european tour? And over 99.9% of them are never going to make it. There's a multitude of people on this planet who have dedicated the last 20+ years of their lives to try and become world class golfers and it hasn't happened, and never will. Think about how depressing it has to be for those people once they realize that they have failed and will never meet their goal. What if they had spent all that time and energy elsewhere by starting their own business, or a career in another field?

But the optimist will say at least they tried. At least they actually chased their dream, while most men are far too cowardly to take the risk.

The pessimist will say I told you so.

[holdemft]

After reading this thread, it looks like we've got a plethora of world class poker and chess players posting here.

If you want to be world class at something you need a combination of a)Addictive personality, and b)some kind of mental psychosis. All the greats are addictive and range from mildly to extremely psychotic. If you're taking meds, I suggest you stop taking them and give it shot. Good luck.

[CarlSpackler]

[ QUOTE ]
After reading this thread, it looks like we've got a plethora of world class poker and chess players posting here.

If you want to be world class at something you need a combination of a)Addictive personality, and b)some kind of mental psychosis. All the greats are addictive and range from mildly to extremely psychotic. If you're taking meds, I suggest you stop taking them and give it shot. Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wtf? So you're saying Magic Johnson, David Sklansky, Warren Buffet, Tiger Woods, Al Michaels, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Koybayashi, Bruce Lee, and Ronnie Coleman are all psychotics with addictive personality disorders?

[devilsshadow]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After reading this thread, it looks like we've got a plethora of world class poker and chess players posting here.

If you want to be world class at something you need a combination of a)Addictive personality, and b)some kind of mental psychosis. All the greats are addictive and range from mildly to extremely psychotic. If you're taking meds, I suggest you stop taking them and give it shot. Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wtf? So you're saying Magic Johnson, David Sklansky, Warren Buffet, Tiger Woods, Al Michaels, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Koybayashi, Bruce Lee, and Ronnie Coleman are all psychotics with addictive personality disorders?

[/ QUOTE ]

lmmfao--are you implying that wittgenstein was NOT psychotic???lmao... i concur (primarily bc i'm a genius addict...lmao) that top of the order requires some unique qualities that usually = borderline personality disorder in the eyes of society...but wtf do i know, i'm a thomas szaz fan?!lmao...

mark my words---i will be at table one at the bellagio defending the corporation's bankroll!!! gimme 3 years max m'f'ers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

peace out yo!

sean

[bob2007]

I've pondered this quite a bit lately. I'm not doing so well as a stock trader. Looks like I'll be playing a lot more poker in the next few months. Maybe, just maybe I might make that leap of faith going pro. But previously, when I did do it for a brief time, I was terribly distraught with the swings (not the case when it was a hobby for 4 years). At that time, I thought, I better get a job, even though this pays a whole lot more - who knows when poker fad might end.

I've also come to the realization that I've probably never fully committed myself to my endeavours. I've been good at 3 things in my life: soccer, singing, poker.

I think most people that are intelligent and logical, generally take the safe option, following paths of least resistance.

[Mllndllrmn]

I feel you man. I was an above average football player, very good wrestler, decent at music etc etc but not like revered for any one thing per say. I struggled with this exact problem earlier, but I realized that I had the most fun and prolly most potential in the business or poker world, and both were very fun to me. It is normal for a 22 year old to switch interests here and there, but as I always say "stick to your guns", if you are good and have a passion, you can be great. I did it with business and poker and at 19 I am doing well in both.