Here’s an interesting study exploring something many of us probably suspected already— while it’s a nice concept that we can be great at anything if we just diligently work at it enough, in reality, practice doesn’t always make perfect.

I found it particularly interesting that 88% of elite-level performance is explained by factors other than practice.

Others [factors for success] include how open you are to collaborating and learning from others, and how much you enjoy the activity. That last one — intrinsic motivation — has a huge empirical base of support in workplaces, schools, and elsewhere. We’ve long known that the pleasure one takes from an activity is a powerful predictor of success.”

It’s a great reminder for high school  students  to find and lean into things you enjoy. Give especially great performances in your favorite classes. Take your favorite extracurricular activity or hobby to a reasonable extreme. Spend less time fixing perceived weaknesses and more time exploring and embracing things that make you happy.

Practice still has its place (as the article concedes). But you’ll get a lot more out of it if you enjoy what you’re doing in the first place.