The Surprising Power of Disadvantage

(Written by Sanasi Kelkar for Edition 45 of The Upleveler, our weekly smartletter)

In April 2019, golfer Tiger Woods won the Augusta Masters tournament, his first major win in 11 years. A few years ago, people had written his eulogy: four back surgeries, a ruined personal life, a jail sentence, and such bad physical shape that he could not even tie his own shoelaces. Surely, his days were done.

But Woods, at age 43, bounced back. He tried to explain how: “Pushing and being competitive, had got me into this situation. The same thing got me out.”

Had it not been for this new low, would he have gone that high?

“Desirable Difficulties” is a term coined by Robert and Elizabeth Bjork from the University of California. The idea:

"Sometimes your performance will improve if I make the task of learning more difficult for you, instead of easier. Sometimes, disadvantages trigger something unique within you. A hidden potential you didn’t know."

Sport frequently throws up such stories. There’s football genius Messi and his stunted height/growth. Record-breaking swimmer Michael Phelps, top gymnast Simone Biles and their ADHD. Players who rose from utter poverty to become GOATs (Greatest of All Time).

What are the ways, then, in which you can turn disadvantages on their head? Here are a few:

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