Introduction
Talent is an exceptional natural ability. Therefore, talented people will do the things they are talented in with relative ease compared to others. However, average people will need to practice a little more to achieve the same level of excellence as their talented counterparts. Whether in school life or career, we have all at one time or another come across them. These people spend relatively less time practicing than the others because it comes naturally to them.
When it comes to learning something new in class, some students will only need to practice it once to fully grasp the concept. Yet it would take a less talented student more practice to comprehend and memorize it fully. As a result, talented persons can do many things in less time and reach success faster than others.
Talent vs. Practice
Let us look at an example. My cousin Crystal and I grew up together and have the same background as far as education is concerned. We went to the same schools from elementary to university. From elementary school through to high school, I was always ranked 3 or above in class. I never once skipped school, and I promptly did my assignments. Crystal was just an average student in the class. She disliked doing practice, and she hardly did homework. She only did assignments when compelled to do them. Even during class sessions, she did not pay much attention to what the teachers taught. At this stage, I appeared to be better than she was
Nevertheless, when we proceeded to college and university, the tables turned. I struggled to maintain satisfactory grades. I had to read a lot more, do personal assignments, in addition to those given in class; I bought extra reading material to complement the core texts given. Even with all that effort, I still attained average grades, as opposed to my cousin who excelled. Crystal only needed to attend class and do a little reading on her own.
Every day, I came back home, rushed to my desk to complete my homework. While I was doing this, Crystal had already done hers and was watching TV. When we were studying for exams, I spent a better part of the day mastering the concepts. Crystal, on the other hand, needed only two hours to do her revision. She thoroughly enjoyed her courses and had no difficulty understanding concepts. She did her assignments and projects with relatively more ease and displayed high intellectual ability.
She often came up with creative ideas for her projects; in fact, her final year’s success was recognized by the university. She was always ahead with researching for her project and contacting the supervisor. Crystal got an A (plain) while I had an A- (minus)in the final grade exam. Interestingly, she achieved this while working part-time. During the week, she got a part-time job where she went five days a week giving her only two days of school. Even then, she excelled both at school and work. We can attribute this to her talent.
In Elementary and High school, students who worked hard or practiced a lot got excellent grades. So long as one attended school consistently completed assignments and projects at an acceptable time, they did well. Hence, it is not easy to pinpoint the talented students since they are testing their basic knowledge and skills. However, as they progress to college or university, they have to study in the fields that they have an interest in. Talented students pick courses that their passions are inclined to.
The other average students will probably go for courses that will make them excel. Both students may do well, but the talented students will excel more as they do things extra-ordinarily. This can clearly be illustrated using assignments or projects given by the lecturers to students. An average hardworking student will be keen on getting the work done in a way that will get him/her satisfactory grades. Gifted students, on the other hand, devote themselves to doing it to learn.
They read widely, identifying problems, and developing ideas or solutions. Consequently, talented individuals become specialists or experts in their areas of study. The practice is still needed in High school and elementary, but the talent is important in the end. In as much as I used to work hard to achieve good grades, Crystal’s innate Talent got her better grades.
There was a time during one of the summer semesters when Crystal and I took our first jobs on Campus. We worked at the library and our main job description was to sort and arrange books. It was amazing how she took over the job easily. She even came up with new ideas on how to sort the books before putting them on the shelf. Meanwhile, it took me about a month to adapt to the work environment. This made her get many compliments from our supervisor.
People with talent often draw attention from their superiors and coworkers. Because of this, they often get promotions to higher positions faster than their colleagues do. The remarkable abilities they possess are an asset to the organization and could be effectively used to the company’s advantage. Much as hard work can help maintain an individual’s job, it is the extraordinary ability that can act as an edge in achieving better results. Employees must strain to develop talent in tasks outlined in their job description.
Conclusion
Over the years, scientists and people have come up with different opinions on whether talent is vital. Some say anybody can be good at whatever discipline so long as they work hard at it. They suggest that only practice, practice, and more practice matter and that talent is acquirable. I disagree with that ideology and believe that natural talent indeed matters. In all aspects of life, some people will find it easier to do things because of their innate exceptional abilities in that field.
Money and connections have their limitations, while one’s talent has no boundary. It enables one to realize a distinction in their area of specialty. In the example of Crystal and I, while we may have gone through the same schools and taught by the same teachers, her talent stood out and enabled her to accomplish much more.
It is vital to note that talent can be identified and nurtured. School systems and syllabuses should aim to identify such talents in students and individuals. Qualities that talented people have can be fine-tuned to help them in their life. They will also be inclined to follow careers that match their outstanding abilities. In so doing, people will be able to achieve their maximum potential at work and consequently life.
At the workplace, for example, leaders should seek to identify these talents and map them to company goals to get maximum productivity from workers. Individuals should always aspire to use their talent positively to enhance the chances of success in life and their career. Talented people spend less time completing grand goals, while common people need to expend more energy and time to achieve equal accomplishments. This is a quality that we will all respect and appreciate, thus complementing the importance of talent in life.