Sports vs. Fine Arts: Which Path Leads to Better Financial Success?

Have you ever wondered if you should focus on sports or fine arts? Let's talk about what we didn't learn in school about these career paths. We'll also discuss how to improve your life using kaizen, a Japanese idea about getting better little by little.

What is Kaizen?

Kaizen means "improvement" in Japanese. It's about making small changes every day to get better over time. Instead of trying to change everything at once, you focus on improving just 1% each day. These small changes add up to big results over time!

Sports vs. Fine Arts: The Career Funnel

Let's look at how many people make it to the top in sports and fine arts:

Sports Career Funnel:

Youth sports: About 60 million kids
High school sports: 7.9 million students
College sports: 495,000 students
Professional sports: Only 1.6% of college athletes make it
Professional sports: Only 132 out of every 1 million kids who start in youth sports make it to the pros

Fine Arts Career Funnel:

Youth in arts: Millions of kids
High school arts: 4.4 million students
College arts: 1.7 million students
Professional artists: Less than 10% work full-time in their field
Acting: Only about 0.04% of actors are famous enough to be recognized
Music: Less than 0.000002% of musicians will have a platinum record

These examples show that reaching the very top of any competitive field is extremely rare, whether in sports, arts, or business.

Making Money in Sports vs. Fine Arts

While top athletes can make a lot of money, most don't. Fine arts careers might offer more chances to earn money, even if you're not famous. Here's why:

More ways to use your skills (teaching, freelancing, selling art)
Longer career span (you can be an artist at any age)
Ability to write off expenses for taxes

Conclusion: Both Paths Have Value

Whether you choose sports or fine arts, remember:

Both can teach you important life skills
It's okay to try both and see what you like best
Use kaizen to keep improving, no matter what you choose
Consider how you can turn your passion into a career or side job

Remember, success isn't just about making it to the top. It's about enjoying what you do and always trying to get better. Use kaizen to improve a little each day, and you'll be amazed at how far you can go!