5 Things That Don’t Require Talent or Skill

Every time I’ve started something new, I’ve been nervous. Be it something big and serious like a job, or something smaller like a new hobby or project, I am usually a bit uncomfortable. Like a lot of people, I tend to focus on the technical skills and abilities that I don’t have. What I am working on doing instead is thinking about the five things that don’t require any talent that I can choose to bring to the table.

Foundations for Any Success

It’s easy to forget that at an early point in our life, we literally knew nothing. We could manage a few basic bodily functions and that was it. Ever since then, we’ve continued to learn along the way. What makes our growth and learning possible isn’t any technical skill, it’s the choices we make in how we show up. These shape our ability to perform skills, as well as tackle new tasks. And they are choices that are 100 percent within our control.

We Are Constantly Choosing

What’s key about this list is that each of us is deciding to do these things (or not) every single day. Those decisions may be made actively, or passively…either way, we are deciding. Consistently deciding to exercise these is a great way to help ourselves continue to grow and develop. This pattern is what underpins our ability to grow and learn. Doing these things sends a message to ourselves and others that we care. When you really, really care…you can usually find a way.

So play with these and the related behaviors that show your care. It’s amazing how far you’ll go with that as a starting point!