Yesterday I bought my first laptop. As part of the deal, I received the chance to meet with experts for several one-on-one coaching sessions on how to use the computer.

Looking around the store, I wondering how many of the shoppers – including me – would take advantage of the available sessions.

And that made me wonder, in general, how many resources go unused.

Every day, people pass up chances to eat better, to exercise better, or to learn better. They ignore advice that is in libraries, in book stores, or in the media. And then when they fail, they explain the failure as bad luck or on what they perceive as a lack of talent.

Opportunities to improve are everywhere, and great performers use them. Pete Maravich, the basketball player with a legendary shot, spent hours every day in his driveway, practicing foul shots and other aspects of his game. Then when he grew up, people marveled at his basketball “ability.” What they were seeing was not ability at all but thousands of hours of practice.

Millions of kids everywhere have a driveway, a park or a gym they can use. But only a very few make the most of this resource.