›› | CON D I TI ONING |
W I T H A . J. Z E G L E N
BE GOOD AT THE THINGS
THAT REQUIRE NO TALENT
I
’ve had the privilege of
working with athletes
from all different age
groups and all different
sports. My list includes
NHL players, CFL
players, gold medal winning
Olympians and of course the
Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba
Moose.
Because of my experience
in the field, I often get asked
what it is that separates the
great players from the good?
How come some athletes make
it and some don’t?
The perception a lot of
people have is that the
majority of the athletes that
compete at the highest level
have natural ability that far
exceeds the norm. While
this is true when comparing
high-level athletes to a vast
majority of the population,
I can assure you that when
comparing athlete-to-athlete
the biggest contributing factor
is effort.
Effort? Really? How can
something so simple be the
deciding factor?
It’s simple, effort dictates
everything we do, when we
do it and how well we do it. It
is the single most important
factor in our success. Think
of all the greats in any sport
who have achieved legendary
Winnipeg’s Jason Kasdorf of the
Buffalo Sabres excels at hard work
and commitment to his craft
status: Jaromir Jagr, Jerry
Rice, Michael Jordan, Tom
Brady. These players play or
played with and against the
other top players in the world
in their respective sports, rose
to the top and stayed there for
a long time.
So what is the first thing
people talk about when
they mention these names?
They talk about their work
ethic, their dedication, their
preparation. Guess what?
All those things are 100 per
cent controlled and driven by
effort. It takes absolutely zero
athletic ability to be good at
these things.
5 8 | G A M E O N | P L AY OF F ED IT ION 2 0 1 8
One of the best pieces of
advice I ever received in my life
is this: “Be good at the things
that require no talent.”
In other words, be on
time, be willing to learn, pay
attention, be ready to work.
All of us have the ability to
do these things well, but
you would be surprised how
many people choose not to.
Understand that it is a choice
that you make every single day
and it is all about effort.
This message holds true for
any endeavour you choose to
pursue in your life. In athletics:
be at practice on time, be ready
to work, study your playbook,
work hard in the gym. At work:
be on time, read and further
your education in your field.
At home: listen to your family
when they speak, if you say
you will do something, do it,
give compliments.
All these things are
examples of things that require
no talent, just effort. And they
will make you successful in
all different aspects of your
life. Effort is life’s greatest
equalizer.
Be good at the things that
require no talent and you will
have success.
Until next time, Strength,
Courage, Hustle, Commitment