Zone of Genius

There are diminishing returns to patching up your weaknesses. It's better to double down on your strengths.

Is it better to focus on improving our strengths, or addressing our weaknesses?

There's a mental model that helps understand this dilemma. It's called the “zone of genius.” Here's what it teaches us...

There are diminishing returns to patching up your weaknesses. It's better to double down on your strengths.

Look, we all have weaknesses. If you're like most people, you probably have an inkling of the things you're not particularly good at. And again, if you're like most people, this probably eats you up inside.

Maybe you think your weaknesses are holding you back. Maybe you think that peak performers have no weaknesses, and that in order to achieve peak performance, you must achieve a similar level of across-the-board perfection.

Allow me to explain why this misconception is false, why we all have weaknesses, and why that's okay.

There are diminishing returns to patching up your weaknesses. It's better to double down on your strengths.

I've heard this from several coaches, and I've definitely seen it in person when interacting with peak performers.

The reality is, peak performers are not perfect. They have weaknesses just like the rest of us. The difference is: peak performers don't waste time obsessing over their weaknesses; they instead focus on enhancing their strengths.

If you spend all your time focusing on your weaknesses, you'll be spreading your efforts thinly across the board and you won't become great at anything.

To be a peak performer, you must have an area where you're truly great, and that means doubling down on your strengths. That's your “zone of genius:” a part of the game where you're so good that your victory is almost certain if you can keep play within that area.

Wait, does that mean we should ignore our weaknesses?

No. NO. Absolutely not. Don't do that.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the same is true of your Jiu-Jitsu. If you have a gaping hole in your defense, your opponent is likely going to exploit it.

Here's the difference: Peak performers are very targeted with the time they invest in their weaknesses. Once they've closed the hole in their defense, they often move on to investing in something more aligned with their “zone of genius.”

You only need to focus on your weaknesses to the point where they aren't a liability anymore. Then, it's best to invest in your strengths.

If you've got a good gameplan, you'll be constantly trying to steer the fight away from the places you're weak and into the places you're strong. This is an important part of strategy that we refer to as funneling. It's applicable to all aspects of strategy, both in and out of Jiu-Jitsu.

Sometimes, you don't even need to solve your weaknesses yourself; you can delegate them. That's why athletes leverage coaches, nutritionists, physiotherapists, and other professionals.

Delegation is one of the most potent forms of leverage. Learning to delegate is a tremendous hack that makes you more successful in all areas of life.

Always ask yourself: “Is this something only I can fix, or can I outsource the solution?” You can't delegate your ability to defend a triangle choke, but you can delegate the research, analysis, and training plan for improving your triangle defense to someone more specialized.

Every grappler should think deeply about their strengths and weaknesses, how they can close any major defensive holes, and how they can funnel the fight into the place where they're strongest.

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