The subject of mastering your mind and thoughts brings up some good questions of why a lot of us don't reach the potential of what we could or couldn't accomplish. Is it lack of motivation or effort on our part? Could it be that opportunity hasn't come are way for us to be successful? Or maybe we haven't been around the right person that sets us on a path for us to reach potential? I think a little of each of these three question could be true to our failure or mastering our mind to the level of being an expert.
Using Chess as an example of mastering a game with every possible move memorized and knowing first hand all the moves of for each piece gives anyone an upper hand to an opponent that isn't as familiar with game of chess. One beneficial thing about Chess is that it can be analyzed and studied that gives researchers an advantage to learning about those whom play the game. This research has shown that some players of Chess have a different ability for retrieving things from the brain that allows them to look at the Chess game for a few seconds and they see their next move. Others players take longer to find their next move, is this because of how they learned to play the game or is it because lack of effort to learn every move inside and out.
My experience of what I have learned over the years that sometimes you just have to put forth effort to become a good musician or to be able to play well. I have seen this with my kids as they have taken piano and the time they practice learning how to play music notes and if they add more effort this could give them an advantage to develop their ability. I believe effort has a lot to do with success in many aspects in life. You see this in sports, dance, theater and many, many things in life when practice is needed to know your part.
This article could of been written a little better and summarized in less pages. It had a lot of repetitive material that covered the same theories that wasn't necessary to prove a point about Chess players and the difference between a master and a average player.
Prodigies exist throughout generations of time, but many were called weird and looked down on because of their unique thinking abilities. It took many generations before the mind set of people realized that these individuals had special gifts. People are given talents and do have abilities if put in the right environment can be very successful. Unfortunate not all people get a fair shack in life, it sometimes depends on how they were treated in life and how they responded to their environment if they become successful in life, or did life recognize their ability or was it wasted.
I love the graphs charts of the countries showing how many soccer players came from certain countries. This is a great example of opportunity when it surrounds you and the opportunities that can influence you and do have a great effect on what you become. Not everyone can see their potential unless someone points it out and they believe that is who they are. To prove this point, I have a friend that many people pointed out to him a talent he had, but he never believed that he had such a talent and many years have gone by and he finally admitted he might have this ability, but still doesn't know how to make it a reality. What a waste of his gift he didn't know how to nourish and make it grow or develop.
Exports are made, not born. I love this statement because what happens to a young person when he is given many opportunities to succeed and someone is always waiting to strengthen him with good job you can do it. Success can come from opportunities in giving someone a chance to perform and enable them with the tools to help them to achieve success.
Can these lessons be applied to web designers ? Yes, I believe a good teacher can tap into a student and help them develop their abilities and help them to achieve their potential. Helping someone to think or see what they could become or achieve is giving them a little success here and there develops confidence. Trying new things can be scary and take you out of your comfort zone. But seeing that you have the ability to overcome little by little you see your efforts turn into successes you begin to believe.
Link to The Expert Mind article: http://desource.uvu.edu/dgm/2740/IN/steinja/docs/sci_am-expert_mind.pdf
