I went bowling as a team-building event with some people from my chess club yesterday.
You have to know. I like sports in general. I like to be outside and be active.
Mostly because I’m good at most of those activities.
But also because the general vibe is always nice and I’m in love with the feeling of progression. Especially if it’s some kind of physical progression.
Seeing yourself gradually improve at tennis, bowling, baseball, bouldering, and all other sports in existence. That’s got to be one of the best feelings out there.
Ironically enough. I absolutely suck at bowling. My first 5 throws were all in the gutter. I wasn’t off to a great start.
But I didn’t give up.
I started to dissect why I was throwing so awfully and started making small improvements. Throw after throw I started improving and I ended up scoring 1 to 3 points here and there for the next couple of throws.
But then it happened.
I got ready. Ball in hand. Looking at those 10 pins in front of me. I started making that little silly walk you do before you throw your ball. I aimed my trajectory dead-center. Locked my eyes on that middle pin and threw my ball.
As it always happened, I tended to overshoot to the left and it went off course. But I ended up knocking down 5 pins!
That’s nothing to boast about.
But it was the best feeling ever for me. I realized I was gradually improving. 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 3, 1, 2, 5. That’s what improvement looks like right there.
From there on out I became more consistent and started throwing better balls. At the end of the game I ended up scoring a few 7’s, 8’s, 9’s, and even a spare!
Needless to say. I was last for both games we played. But I just know the next game I play won’t be the same.
After our bowling session I played 3 games of pool against one of the friends I was with.
I won all 3 of those.
I always had a better talent for pool. Much more than bowling. The fact that I used to play pool once or twice a month back in high school helps as well.
But I’m not here to boast about my pool skill or (lack of) bowling skills. I’m here to drive home a crucial life lesson.
We all have our own unique talents in life.
Some activities/skills come naturally to us while others don’t. But a lack of talent doesn’t mean you can’t become good or even great.
I (clearly) didn’t have a talent for bowling. But with practice, experimentation, and consistency I, too, can become a decent bowler.
That’s the same with writing, content creation, funnel building, marketing, and sales. No matter your talent, previous experience, or current knowledge. You can become a great creator and build an online business that gets you paid while working less than 3 hours a day.