What It Takes To Be Great

What does it take to be successful? In the article “What it Takes to be Great” by Geoffery Colvin, it states that it takes practice to be great at something. In another article “Students’ View of Intelligence can Help Grades,” by Michelle Trudeau, it comes upon that having a mindset where students believe that they can become more intelligent will improve their academic performance. It takes work to be successful because natural gifts don’t come to people as babies; if kids know they can improve, it is proven that they do, and it takes practice and dedication to be great at something.

First of all, natural gifts don’t come to people as babies, in fact they don’t come to you at all! In the article “What it Takes to be Great”, it states that, “natural gifts don’t exist.” This example shows that no human being will be born with a special talent. Michael Howe, Jane Davison, and John Sluboda (all people mentioned in the article) quotes, “The evidence we have surveyed does not support the idea that excelling is a consequence of possessing natural gifts.” This means that success doesn’t come with natural talent, natural talent is developed within your lifetime.

Secondly, if kids know they can improve, it is proven that they do. In the article “ Students’ View of Intelligence Can Help Grades,” Trudeau says, “‘When they worked hard in school, they actually visualized how their brain was growing.’” This shows that kids are learning how they can improve, and what it takes to improve. Trudeau also states, “about one hundred seventh graders, all doing poorly in math, were randomly assigned to workshops on good study skills. The students in the second group ‘learned that the brain actually forms new connections every time you learn something new, and that over time, this makes you smarter.’” This is a demonstration of how kids can become smarter by learning how they can improve.

    Thirdly, it takes practice to be successful. In the article “What it Takes to be Great,” it says that “even the most accomplished people need around ten years of hard work before becoming world-class, a pattern so well established researchers call it ‘the ten-year rule.’” This example shows that no human being is successful without work. Colvin also comes upon the fact that “talent has little or nothing to do with greatness.” This evidence is important because many people think that talent has everything or mostly everything to do with greatness.

In conclusion, it takes hard work to be successful. You aren’t born with natural gifts. Kids should

know that by knowing they can improve, they do. Lastly, everyone needs practice to be great at

something. You can’t just start doing something and get it right away. Overall, from my experience

as a dancer, I know that practice makes perfect. I wasn’t born knowing how to dance, it’s taken me

eight and a half years to get where I’m at now. But to be great at something, it takes practice, hard

work, and believing in myself.