Week 13 Growth Mindset: Even geniuses have to work hard

This week I reflected on this little nugget of wisdom from our favorite internet cats. In many areas, but for my life particularly in music, I think we tend to be more impressed by people who can perform tasks effortlessly than those who have the dedication and courage to work really tirelessly at something; this seems totally backward to me! 
For one, even those who perform effortlessly probably put in a ton of work just to get to that point. See my last growth mindset about the difference in what we see with regard to preparation versus performance.
Two, working really hard is in itself an ability -- that's why music teachers stress not just the importance of practice, but the importance of GOOD practice. Even at my level, with musicians who will go on to lead big, important careers, I know of peers who have reputations for not being able to practice well. They get by on natural talent, but everyone knows that the second they find a piece outside of their ability level, they won't ever be able to conquer it because they don't have that skill set or mindset.

From the blog