Hard work and dedication do seem to be the keys to accomplishing goals which is something I have personally struggled to accept as I have always been somewhat of a natural at the things I decide to do like sports. People were always saying that I will go places in whatever it was they saw me doing but because I became accustomed to hearing those sorts of comments, it made me feel like I was already really good which moved on to not really committing to something or doing more than what I had to do.
The same thing happened with school grades and the difference between those who had to work hard for and make the effort to do well or even pass and those who could pass without doing anything more than necessary really made itself clear down the line. Eventually you have to retain more amounts and complexity of information which is something the hard workers could do with ease after the many years of pushing through but those who were 'naturals' but didn't put in the effort fell, only realizing what had been happening too late.
- The Gifted Student - This student learns quickly but often times does not keep practicing his/her skills over a long period of time.
- The Dedicated Student - This student learns slowly but trains HARD and OFTEN. This student usually overtakes "Student 1" in terms of skill over a long period of time.
- The Perfect Student - This student picks up stuff QUICKLY and trains HARD. They are the "Tiger Woods" of Martial Arts. Naturally Gifted and Dedicated/Consistent training. Best of both worlds. It is important for this student to stay HUMBLE and COURTEOUS!
- The Quitter - This student comes to class for one day then quits, never giving himself/herself the chance to become skillful!
This is a list of the different types of martial artists by Jake Mace but I believe this can be applied to A LOT of different areas which means that everybody can be 'The Perfect Student' in some category. Are you good at something? Of course you're good at something. Don't dread on all of your weaknesses and things you aren't good at but instead find the thing or things you can do very well and focus time and energy on them. Don't think you're good enough already because that is the mistake MANY make. This also doesn't mean that weaknesses should be neglected because balance is key in all aspects of this particular life so in summary, gain confidence and make something great of yourself by improving on you're weaknesses BUT focusing most of the energy you have on what you love and what you're good at.