Some people make everything look easy.
They get better grades, write better, dance better, sell more, and just shine while others grind.

I noticed this first as a kid playing street football. We usually played with no boots or any standard equipment or special training. In fact, we sometimes didn’t even use actual footballs. As long as there was an  open space and a round-ish object, we were good to go. Yet a few kids were just really good. They dribbled past everyone and scored beautiful goals we called “television goals”. Everyone wanted them on their 5-aside team and no one wanted to play against them in 4-corner post.

Think back for a moment. You probably know someone like that too. Maybe not at football, but at some other activity. Maybe that someone is you.

Here’s what’s really happening:
Life gives every one a “cheat code.” An unfair advantage. Something we can do better than most people without heavy effort. Some people are lucky in life that they quickly identify and develop theirs from an early age (e.g athletes and musicians) but for most people, it takes longer.

If what you’ve read so far makes sense to you, I’d like to introduce you to The Zone of Genius. A framework for uncovering your own cheat code and building your life and work around it.

There are three zones that precede the zone of genius, making four in total.

The Four Zones

1. Zone of Incompetence: These are things other people do better than you. There’s no need to feel bad about them. Identify and plan to outsource them as much as you can. There’s always the other option of mastering them if absolutely critical, (nothing is impossible to them that believe) but be ready to work 5 times as hard for it. Is it really worth your time?
   
   
2. Zone of Competence: These are things you can do, but others can do just as well. Again for these, it’s best you outsource as much as you can or be ready to compete hard with the “naturals”. I ask again, is it really worth your time?
   
   
3. Zone of Excellence: This is a danger zone because you’re excellent here, maybe better than most people, but you don’t love it here. Others will try to keep you here because they benefit from you being there (outsourcing their incompetence to you). It’s a safe place that quietly drains you. Because you can, does not mean you should.
   
   
4. Zone of Genius: This is your cheat code. Work you’re uniquely great at and love doing. Time disappears here. This is where you bring the most value to the world and yourself.

How to Discover Your Cheat Code (Your Zone of Genius)

The tricky part is that when you’re in your Zone of Genius it feels so natural you might not notice. That’s why many people don’t value it. You’ll hear things like “is it not ordinary cooking?” No, it’s not. You’re really good at this thing!

You’ll probably need other people to point it out so what I want you to do is to pick a few people who interact with you regularly and send them something like this:

“I’m trying to understand the things I’m uniquely good at that I may not see myself. Would you be willing to take a few minutes to answer a few questions for me?”

They’ll reply “no problem, sure”

Then ask:

• What do I do that feels “world-class” to you?
• Where do I seem to experience fun, peace, or joy?
• What do I do well but clearly don’t enjoy?
• What do I do that I’m not better than others at?
• What do I do that I’m actually bad at?

Their answers will reveal patterns. Those patterns are your cheat code. That’s where your leverage lives.

Stop trying to be average at what everyone else is good at.
Double down on what feels natural. Master it. Build around it.

Because if God put it in you, it’s meant to sustain you.

If I know you personally and you’d like me to answer these questions for you, email me at ai@akanniisaac.com and I’ll give you my honest opinion.

Cheers!




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_{*The Zone of Genius is a concept from Gay Hendricks’s book – The Big Leap.
**All external links were last updated in Sept 2025}