#018 – Application and Ability
Application and ability. There is no attaining eminence without both, and where they unite there is the greatest eminence. Mediocrity obtains more with application than superiority without it. Work is the price which is paid for reputation. What costs little is little worth. Even for the highest posts it is only in some cases application that is wanting, rarely the talent. To prefer moderate success in great things than eminence in a humble post has the excuse of a generous mind, but not so to be content with humble mediocrity when you could shine among the highest. Thus nature and art are both needed, and application sets on them the seal.
What great advice for all of us in the coaching and education spaces. We see it time and time again. Talent with no application. Gifted athletes with no drive. On the flip side, athletes with fantastic work ethics may also underachieve if we do not develop their talent. It is the never-ending chess battle to find the balance between developing talent and making a great effort. Any coach who has been around long enough will most likely tell the tales of both sides of this coin. I think the biggest disrespect we can give an athlete, as a coach, is being happy with the trait(s) they bring in and not trying to balance them. Letting the star athlete have more space in accountability and not working as hard as they could; and letting the hard workers get away with not trying to work on the fine technical areas to gain more ability. There is a constant battle to balance the two, and that battle never ends. It requires focus and reflection.
This blog series is based on the book “The Art of Worldly Wisdom” by Balthasar Gracián. This book was written for advice on how to achieve personal and professional success. This blog series aims to visit the points of wisdom and put them in the spotlight of the coaching and education lens.
