Michael Phelps is an American former competitive swimmer and the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 medals.
Hicham El Guerrouj is a retired Moroccan middle-distance runner. He is the world record holder of the outdoor 1500 metres, mile, and 2000 metres events. He also held indoor world records for the mile and 1500 metres until 2019.
Both of them are award-winning athletes. Their commonality ends here.
El Guerrouj is 1.75m tall and weighs 62.5kg. Phelps is 1.93m tall and weighs 88kg. The former has long legs while the latter has long hands.
Although both have remarkable athleticism, they will suffer if they switch sports, i.e., El Guerrouj swims and Phelps runs. Because El Guerrouj is too short and light for a swimmer and Phelps, too tall and heavy for a runner.
So, what gives?
The people at the top of any competitive field are not only well trained, but they are also well suited to the task.
And this is why, if you want to be truly great, selecting the right place to focus is crucial. In short: genes do not determine your destiny. They determine your areas of opportunity.
As physician Gabor Mate notes, “Genes can predispose, but they don’t predetermine.” The areas where you are genetically predisposed to success are where habits are more likely to be satisfying.
The key is to direct your effort toward areas that excite you and match your natural skills to align your ambition with your ability.
Most of you who are reading this are still young. So, there’s still time to change where you compete if you feel like a fish out of water right now.
As for me? I‘m already doing both what excites me and what I’m good at. Yes, I’m blessed. So are you if you’re reading this.
PS: The above post is inspired by the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. It’s a fantastic book. Go get it. Oh, and remember to read it, too!
