Unlock your potential
WINNING LINE
Success isn’t always down to innate talent. So says Adam Grant, an organisational psychologist, Ted speaker and bestselling author, whose new book Hidden Potential* will help even the most average Joes achieve great things.
START LINE
When psychologists investigated the roots of exceptional talent among musicians, scientists, artists and athletes, they discovered only a few had been child prodigies.
ADRENALINE
Counterintuitively, the thing researchers found marked successful people out was a willingness to make mistakes. For example, successful polyglots (people who speak multiple languages) are happy to visit a foreign country and speak to locals before feeling 100 per cent ready. ‘Comfort in learning is a paradox,’ says Grant. ‘You can’t become truly comfortable with a skill until you’ve practiced it enough to master it.’
HARDLINE
Don’t aim for flawless. In fact, says Grant, ‘if perfectionism were a medication, the label would alert us to common side effects. Warning: may cause stunted growth’.
CREDIT LINE
Set a mistake budget – the minimum number of mistakes you’ll make a week. When you view stumbles as a healthy part of the process, you’ll improve faster.
FROWN LINE
Beware ‘boreout’ – burnout caused by obsessive slog. Counter this by introducing novelty into practice. For example, when pharmacy school students did improvisation classes to help them pick up on non-verbal cues, they subsequently performed better in patient examinations.
HELPLINE
Want to improve your performance? Ask others for forward-thinking advice over backward-looking feedback – you want coaches not critics.
BACK-UP LINE
Remember the old saying ‘a setback is just the setup for a comeback’? Grant agrees that progress is not always linear – if you feel stuck on a project, sometimes you need to reverse and try a different road. Basketball provides the proof: one study found that when the star player was injured, a team’s performance initially suffered, but they won even more games than before once the player returned. Why? Because in the meantime the team had to go back to square one and search for new paths to success, becoming even better in the process.
SIDELINE Think you’re too busy for a hobby? It could make you better at your day job, says Grant. Importantly, though, you need to choose a completely different field for your pastime – think accountants doing pottery.
GUIDELINE
‘The best way to learn something is to teach it’ says Grant. This is known as the ‘tutor effect’ – sharing your knowledge reinforces it.
NIGHT LINE
Turns out it really does help to dream big. When economists tracked thousands of people from birth until age 55, the aspirations they formed as adolescents foreshadowed how their adult lives would unfold, even when factors such as income and parents’ education was taken into account.
STRAPLINE
Got imposter syndrome? Ditch: ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s only a matter of time until everyone finds out’ and replace it with: ‘I don’t know what I’m doing yet. It’s only a matter of time before I figure it out.’ It’s far more likely that you’re underestimating yourself than it is others overestimating you.
NEXT WEEK TOPLINE TRAVEL: A PRIVATE RESORT IN SRI LANKA
Sagittarius
23 Nov-21 Dec It’s good to be confident but don’t overdo it and think you can make a success of something that even experts are reluctant to attempt. If you insist on having a go, be sure to prepare well and have the support of friends. Don’t climb mountains without back-up. CALL 1560 475 020*
Capricorn
22 Dec-20 Jan As values planet Venus crosses the midheaven point of your chart so someone influential is likely to make you the proverbial offer you can’t refuse. Just make sure it’s the kind of offer you can live with long-term. If it’s morally questionable, give it a miss. CALL 1560 475 021*
Aquarius
21 Jan-19 Feb With Venus entering one of the most adventurous areas of your chart, this is the ideal time to explore further afield and even attempt things you normally wouldn’t even think about, let alone do. Don’t worry about the cost – that’s a minor detail to deal with later. CALL 1560 475 010*
Pisces
20 Feb-20 March Be sure you’re paid the right amount for the job. As Venus, planet of harmony, enters the financial area of your chart there is a danger you will accept what you’re given simply because you can’t be bothered to argue. Always demand what you’re worth. CALL 1560 475 011*
Aries
21 March-20 April You’ve spent a lot of time and energy on work-related issues of late and you’ve earned a break. Your solar chart reveals that someone you’re fond of needs your attention. If you give it you’ll have a great time together. If you don’t, they may find someone else! CALL 1560 475 012*
Taurus
21 April-21 May Forget the details of what you’re working on as, if you ask nicely, someone else will take care of them. Focus on the bigger picture and make sure the project as a whole heads in the right direction. You’re the captain of this ship – others report to you. CALL 1560 475 013*
Gemini
22 May-21 June Having to bend to the whims of people you don’t respect can be irritating but that’s how it is and there’s no point in making an issue of it. The good news is that, with affectionate Venus in the most romantic area of your chart, your love life is sure to pick up. CALL 1560 475 014*
Cancer
22 June-23 July If your home life is in a bit of a rut, what happens over the next few days will spice things up. Someone you think the world of will come out of their shell and reassure you they feel the same about you. Never doubt that you’re loved. And never stop loving yourself. CALL 1560 475 015*
Leo
24 July-23 Aug You’ll leave no one in any doubt about your feelings for them this week. Your way with words will create the ideal atmosphere for romance, and upsets and disagreements will soon be forgotten. Almost everyone you meet will fall in love with you. CALL 1560 475 016*
Virgo
24 Aug-23 Sept Common sense will tell you whether to take a risk or play safe, and with Venus in the money sector of your chart that will be of the utmost importance. Also, you’ve built up a lot of trust in recent weeks – by all means cash in on it over the next few days. CALL 1560 475 017*
Libra
24 Sept-23 Oct With your ruler Venus, planet of harmony and happiness, about to enter your birth sign there is reason to believe you’re on the verge of something special. It will change your life for the better emotionally and, maybe, financially too. Be of good cheer. CALL 1560 475 018*