Talent or Dedication?
Which is more important, dedication or talent? From an instructor’s perspective, dedication wins hands down.
Like many instructors, I have students who are talented and “natural.” I also have students who are not “natural” in martial arts.
Oddly enough, and generally speaking, the less talented folks are more dedicated and more likely to attend class. The committed students know they need to train consistently. Further, they ask more questions than others and are often highly motivated.
Some talented people do not take their talent for granted and work to maximize their potential. On the other hand, many do, and that is unfortunate. These students are among the most frustrating to teach.
Why?
It is frustrating because you are willing to teach them and help them reach their potential but either their attendance is spotty, or they don’t seem to work as hard during class as others.
On the other hand, the less talented students scrap for every bit of knowledge and skill. They watch videos, ask questions during class, and request private lessons. Many of them are aware of their limitations.
However, there is a subset of the less talented students that instructors have to watch out for and those are the ones who know that they are not “natural” and are easily discouraged.
This, in turn, affects their motivation to train. I must admit that I struggle when folks give up on themselves. I make every effort to lift them up. But, it does not always work. In this respect, they are similar to unmotivated talented students.
It should be obvious that I love teaching motivated and dedicated students, regardless of talent level. Their “can-do” attitude is infectious!
The converse is that I am not thrilled with teaching unmotivated students who consistently go through the motions during class. I can understand a student occasionally not feeling motivated. I always check in: “What’s up?” There is usually a good reason. “I’ve got a huge project due at the end of the week.”
But those who are consistently unmotivated? While I have not had too many of them, I generally wait. To date, every one of them has quit in due time. Make no mistake; I make every effort to motivate them. Unfortunately, it does not work for everyone.
Speaking of dedication, look at the post below by Jesse Enkamp on Instagram. How dedicated are you really? 🙂
In summary, I value dedication over talent!
Finally, for those reading this post, I wish you all a Happy New Year. I’ll be back with more posts soon!
Additional Reading
[…] lesson videos can take a fair bit of work and dedication. Make sure that this is up your […]
[…] I started teaching him at 5 with children’s classes at the Legends Community Centre in Oshawa. Then due to his parents’ schedule, we shifted to once-a-week private lessons. He attended several seminars and workshops over the years to supplement the private lessons. His growth has just exploded in the last two years, making me very happy. Miguel is the personification of dedication! […]