More from Josh Groban

There are no shortcuts to feeling competent at what you do. It's the work.

JG

Josh Groban

High Point University Commencement 2018, 2018

13:58

Video starts at 13:58 — the moment this quote was spoken

The Story Behind This Quote

Groban describes the imposter syndrome of his early career — every day of the first few years, he felt like he was faking it. His confidence was a sham. He was crushing it on stage but offstage was 'a ball of doubt.' He tells graduates this is natural, human, and okay — just plow through it. Using a video game metaphor, he describes collecting experiences like XP points: each scary situation you push through becomes a tool in your belt for next time. At 37 with 17 years in the business, he still gets nerves. But the difference is now he has a 'tool belt of experiences' to draw from. The realization: there is no shortcut. Only the accumulated doing, again and again, builds genuine competence.

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