You can be a genius.

7 min read

// The Premise.

Genius isn’t reserved for a select few - I believe that anyone can become a genius by creating consistently and waiting for the right moment.

My belief is that everyone is a genius.

I know ‘normal’ people who have genius ideas all the time, they create, they achieve and they perform at a level which I consider to be genius. You don’t need to have a degree, an elevated IQ or a lifetime of education to be considered a genius.

All it takes, is consistency and an element of repetition.

This weekend, my son played football at Under 9’s level - the quality is still raw, they are still learning but there are some fundamental things which kids at that age can do in order to be seen as better than the rest - the number one above all else is effort.

At no time have I taught Theo on how to control the ball, how to strike it with power or how to read his position in a game (he plays in midfield) and on the way to football this weekend, I gave him a pep talk - (not a Pep Guardiola talk) and my message was that even if he isn’t the most gifted player on the pitch, he can outperform most of the other players just by trying harder, doing more and running like hell.

Effort over talent will always win when talent doesn’t make the effort.

Becoming a genius is just this - working hard, being in the right place at the right time (which my son was, he scored two goals this weekend) and doing this over and over until he gets the right results. Doing something long enough and to a high level of consistency will prove that you’re a genius - it’s the way it goes.

Let me explain..

// Repetition Breeds Mastery

Being a genius isn’t about have just one great idea - that’s easy, anyone can do that. Being a genius is more than that, it’s about developing the skills and knowledge to recognise and execute on the great ideas when they come around - only by continuously creating, can you refine your ideas and sharpen your skills to increase your chances of success.

Two modern day sporting greats who are considered to be geniuses in their fields - Lionel Messi or Tiger Woods - both started at an early age and both have relentlessly pursued their craft with unwavering commitment.

Lionel Messi started playing street football at a very young age - obviously he was super talented but there are many talented players in the world, he was much more consistent and from his efforts and from his talent (both combined) came an opportunity to play at Barcelona at 14 years of age.

The same could be said of Tiger Woods who first picked up a golf club at the age of 18 months. He won more than 30 junior tournaments before becoming a teenager.

At age 15, Woods won his first of three U.S. Junior Amateur titles.

He then won three U.S. Men's Amateur titles.

Consistent effort and extraordinary commitment to developing his talent led to becoming a sporting genius.

It’s the relentless practice, refinement of their craft and their daily dedication which allowed them to seize on the moments which mattered most to them and allowed them to elevate their status from just ‘ordinary’ to genius.

But imagine they gave up when they reached adulthood because they found something else entertaining - the world would have never been given the gifts of their talents and they would have never been considered genius.

When you keep creating, you're honing your craft, sharpening your tools. Messi didn’t just wait for the perfect goal; he practiced relentlessly, so that when the opportunity arose, he could make it count. Tiger Woods never relaxed and thought ‘I’ve done enough’.. he pursued his craft with the utmost consistency.

The same applies to creativity in any field - the more you create, the better prepared you are to recognize and execute genius ideas.

// Creative Momentum

Relentless commitment is just not enough though - I could practice every day and still not be good at football (which is probably true) or I could consistently swing that golf club, create a video, record a podcast or write a blog (see what I’m doing there) and that might not still be enough but the more ideas you produce, the higher your chances of just once, your idea hitting the mark.

Thats the power of creative momentum - each project, every iteration of your work - whether it succeeds or not will build on the next and every time, you’re increasing the chances that you’re creating something genius worthy.

I tried to think of examples of where creative momentum led to genius status and the best example is that of Steve Jobs of Apple.

Now, you’re thinking of the success stories of Apple - the iPod, iPhone and most impressively, the Mac. But have you ever heard of the Apple Lisa or the Apple Newton?

Both these products were commercial flops - the Apple Lisa was the product before the first Apple Mac - it was such a failure that the board of directors at Apple (in the early 80’s) forced Steve Jobs to stop working on that project and instead focus on another Apple project - the Mac.

The Lisa project was what every tech company strives to produce - it was more advanced than the subsequent Mac, it was better was a better spec but because of all this, it was super expensive and failed commercially.

It was a failure which allowed Steve Jobs to recognise that in order to be successful, he needed something else.

The Apple Newton was the same - it was a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) - again, technologically advanced for its time and groundbreaking in it’s approach but once again, clunky, expensive and probably ahead of it’s time but the premise of the Apple Newton laid the groundwork for the iPod and iPhone which came later.

Steve Jobs was in a unique position - he had the capability to create in his own company. We have the same opportunity in our lives, the ability to continually create and work at a project - understand what works and what fails.

It’s not about waiting for the perfect idea, but generating a steady flow of ideas.

When you look at Steve Jobs - not every effort was met with success, but he kept pushing. Eventually, the world was ready for the iPhone, and Jobs’ genius was cemented because he was always innovating, always creating.

// Timing is Everything

Finally, alongside consistent effort and consistent ideation comes the moment.

The moment where everything aligns - that World Cup win, that tech product launch that the world is waiting for or that pop culture moment.

Timing is the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle - timing is often seen as luck, but those who continuously create are prepared when the right moment arises.

Genius happens when opportunity meets preparation, and by staying creative, you ensure you're ready when the world catches up to your idea.

Elon Musk is a prime example of this ‘crazy’ genius until the world caught up - he began working on SpaceX, Tesla and the ideas of solar powered vehicles, renewable energy technology as 2004, when the world hadn’t even thought of an electric vehicle.

The Tesla (having driven one) is one of the best cars in the world. The efficiency, speed, fun factor and overall experience when driving a Tesla is unmatched in the world of electric vehicles but the timing of that technology has led to it’s success.

Google Glass was a technological breakthrough which was way ahead of it’s time - the AR/VR glasses model which was launched in 2013 was incredible (I mean, I even wanted them) but the tech around the whole Google Glass eco-system was just not prepared enough and the planets never aligned for it to be a success.

I think the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are almost there but not quite at the moment. The same with the Vision Pro from Apple. We’re on the cusp of some incredible tech breakthrough with wearable tech but I don’t think it’s landed quite yet.

The idea is that even with the consistent effort and the consistent ideation, it might not be enough to be considered genius.

You can’t predict the moment the world will be ready for your idea but you can control how prepared you are for it. Just with Messi, Jobs and Musk - all of them have failed, all of them have continually trained or iterated their work until that moment - the moment where everything aligned and genius was realised.

The more you create, the more you’ll be prepared for when the genius moment arrives.

// Sum Up.

As I tried to explain to my son this weekend, genius isn’t about baked-in talent or a single flash of brilliance; it’s about the combination of consistent effort, being relentless with your creation, and being prepared when the right moment arrives.

With repetition, mastery is achieved, and by constantly producing ideas - whether in sports, technology, or any other field - you’re increase your chances of creating something truly extraordinary.

Take this blog for example, I’ve written on many occasions that my efforts feel sporadic, the output rises and falls with my expectations but by remaining consistent, I’m waiting for the right moment to arrive and by working hard, I’m giving myself every effort to have that breakthrough moment - that article which lights up.

While it’s true that timing plays a crucial role in the success of genius ideas, it’s the preparation and perseverance that position you to take advantage of that timing. People like Messi, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk didn’t just stumble upon genius; they kept working, innovating, and creating - even when they failed - until the world was ready for their ideas.

Anyone can be a genius.

The key is to keep creating, learning from failures, and being ready when the right moment comes.

The formula is simple: consistent effort + creative momentum + timing = genius.

Keep creating, keep trying, and your genius moment will come.