“The Mundanity of Excellence”

Sociologist Daniel Chambliss coined this term to reflect the path to become excellent at something. An instrument, a sport, running a business, public speaking. Anything, really. Studies have proven that those who are successful spend more time in the proverbial trenches performing the repeated mundane tasks to be successful.

Researchers found that the West Point Cadets most likely to make it through the six week “Beast Barracks” were more likely to do so if they had an intangible quality they labeled “grit.” Olympic swimmers who perform the best are those who spend more time on “mundane activities.” In baseball, we know that the best pitchers and hitters are those who study video, often in-game!

To become excellent at something – to reach mastery – is much more about your ability to stay on a task then it is your ability to be qualified for that task. It is about your ability to handle the emotion of the thing when the work swings against you, and remain on task. Talent helps, but it’s not the driver.

It’s funny seeing a term like “grit” in an official academia study but for me, it’s the best motivation in the world. Knowing you don’t have to be super talented, blessed, or gifted anything to be successful at business, getting in shape, training for an event, you name it. If you work hard enough and if you remain committed, not only could you achieve…you will.

To quote Daniel Pink:

“The path to mastery is not lined with daisies and spanned by a rainbow…Mastery hurts. Sometimes — many times — it’s not much fun.”

These past twelve months have separated those with grit and those without it across many endeavors. Are you prepared for the simple act of…trying?

-Dave

Source: “Drive”, Pink