“Career hot streaks” or predictable human behavior?

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal talks about “Career hot streaks”

The article illustrated two interesting ideas that I believe deserve further consideration. 

The article claims most people have at least one hot streak in their career. A period when creativity and work satisfaction crescendo.

I can’t help but believe regardless of the discipline, human behavior is predictable.

As an entrepreneur that has been grinding away for over three decades, innovation and success require stamina and incredible discipline.

Recurring success is contingent upon focus and blind determination. It also requires patience and perseverance, and a realistic perspective about what operating a successful company truly entails.

The article concentrates on the contributions of scientific thought, entertainment and sports.

Maybe the simple explanation is people have a limited capacity to stay focused for extended periods of time and become content with plateaus of productivity?

This may explain why most entrepreneurs fail? Why most athletes don’t stay relevant for long? Why many musicians rise and fall like the sun?

Could it be that many people achieve success then relish in the accolades?

Is it possible that instead of feeling motivated to stretch their true potential, many people become amnestied in their own brilliance?

Maybe this is the explanation behind why most people “chase” the dream of being successful?

Could this be the impetus behind our proclivity to “chase” the latest fade?

I truly believe most people are in love with the idea of being successful but don’t appreciate the sacrifice of making their dream become a reality.

This might even explain why incredibly talented people reach thresholds of productivity and frequently fade into obscurity.

Maybe people simply lack the fortitude to endure the long-term discomfort associated with sustaining success?

Maybe once that incredible paper is written, that athletic milestone is achieved, that number one hit is produced, people relax and marinate in their own accomplishments?

Maybe feeling like you’ve arrived is the catalyst for castrating progress?

I think most people can’t resist the idea of striking it rich. If they do, they become inebriated in their own achievements.

Maybe this explains why investment trends appeal to so many people. Why unrealistic business endeavors become nullified by reality. Maybe that’s why most people that dream of being a rock star fall flat on their face.

I am not trying to be cynical, but I’ve learned one unequivocal fact. Long term success requires something extra special.

A unique person with incredible qualities that provides insight and perspective during periods of good fortune.

They have a realistic perspective on success and a humility that provides perspective on personal accomplishments and the drive and determination necessary to absorb the undulations along the journey toward building a successful business.

The California gold rush was the largest mass migration in American history. By 1850, 300,000 people flooded into California. Most speculate the actual number of people that “got rich”, was very small. Less than 2%. The odds were slightly better than winning the lottery.

The cost of making the trip and settling into a new territory was astronomical. People gave up everything.

You know who really got rich? The merchants! The early entrepreneurs.

New businesses were created to cater to the dreamers. One of the biggest success stories was Levi Strauss. He started by making canvass tarps for covered wagons. Eventually, he adapted his business to provide durable pants for miners working 16-hour days. Genius!

Maybe this same propensity to take the easy path afflicts remarkable athletes, scientists and musicians?

I think I know why.

We are designed to be complacent. Neutrality feels natural and preserving our desire to be comfortable takes precedence over adopting unfamiliar change, even for the extraordinary it requires daily effort.

It’s possible that even incredibly gifted people who have cultivated their talents can’t resist the temptation to be content at times.

Unless you tap into your purpose, you won’t discover the energy necessary to inspire permanent change and be committed to personal improvement, indefinitely.

More money isn’t the equalizer that creates personal satisfaction. Athletic achievements aren’t the panacea for providing lasting happiness. Number one hits aren't enough to sustain joy.

Pursuit of happiness requires scaling the ladder of self-actualization and realizing there’s more to life than accumulating wealth, achieving goals or even realizing a dream.

Long term success is like a fine wine. Only time, patience and good grapes make it excellent.

Steve wohlenhaus CEO Weatherology Author Anatomy of Success Podcast Host Anatomy of Success

#careerhotstreaks #selfdevelopment #success