Advanced Tactics: How to Go From Being Merely Good to Being Truly Great

Michael Phelps and Hicham El Guerrouj illustrate how natural inclinations align with success in specific fields. Phelps, with his short legs and long torso, is perfectly built for swimming, while El Guerrouj's long legs and short torso suit distance running. Such genetic predispositions show that one's natural abilities can significantly impact habit formation and performance.

To maximize success, choose the right field of competition that aligns with your natural talents. People are born with different abilities, and these genetic traits influence behavior and personal inclinations. Embracing this helps create habits that are easier to perform and more satisfying, as they match one's natural abilities. Genes do not determine destiny but reveal areas of opportunity.

Personalities shaped by genes significantly influence our habits. The "Big Five" personality traits—Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism—play a role in predispositions towards certain behaviors. For instance, people high in agreeableness have higher natural oxytocin levels, which make social habits more satisfying.

Build habits that align with your personality. This ensures that the habits are more enjoyable and thus more likely to stick. For example, if you enjoy reading, pick genres that fascinate you, even if they aren't considered "improving."

Find and design situations where you're naturally advantaged. Following the explore/exploit trade-off, you should try multiple activities initially (explore) and later focus on the most rewarding ones (exploit). This strategy balances initial exploration with exploiting the activities where you excel. Google’s 80/20 work model exemplifies this approach.

Determine the right habits by asking: - What feels like fun but is work to others? - What makes me lose track of time? - Where do I get greater returns than the average person? - What comes naturally to me?

Leverage your unique combination of skills to find or create a niche where you can excel. Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, became successful by combining his moderate skills in drawing, humor, and business, creating a unique and successful comic strip.

Understand that genes don’t eliminate the need for hard work; they clarify where to focus your efforts for maximum potential. While biological differences matter, commitment and effort are crucial for achieving excellence. Comparing yourself to others is less important than fulfilling your own potential.

Ultimately, choose behaviors that align with both your personality and skills to ensure long-term satisfying habits. Work hard on the things that come easiest to you to maintain motivation and achieve your goals.