The components of success...

This is not a commentary on what success is, and if you are wise, you won’t let anyone tell you what it is, particularly if it involves buying an e-book. What I did want to offer are some thoughts on four important components that lead to success (again, for whatever you want to be successful at).

#1 — Decide what you want to be successful at. The wonderful thing about this is you get to pick.

#2 — This component is binary — you either do something or you don’t do something. if you want to do anything successfully, you need to start. You will be bad at it in the beginning, and it will be difficult, and you will either decide to quit or decide carry on with your attempt to be successful. In the end, it will be your decision — and as an aside, this is where regrets are born.

#3 — Developing Excellence. This is the time you dedicate to becoming better, what people like to affectionately call putting in your 10,000 hours. This is where you become more effective and efficient at whatever you want to be successful at. It’s not as difficult anymore and becomes second nature. By all measures, you become a little better each time and are able to do what you need to do and are successful at the attempt (this is functional excellence). Time is not the only criteria, but also understanding of what is needed to improve, and using that time to get better.

#4 — Repeatability. You have shown success once; now you need to do it again, and again… and again. This is more or less a continued function of #2 and #3; all the while, adapting to situations and challenges as you repeat previous successes.

If money is your goal go into finance or investment banking or alternatively, you can also do something that brings you joy, because experience has shown, if you do something you love the money will eventually follow — and if it doesn’t, at least you are doing something you love.

And one last thing… you will have to work very hard and it’s difficult.

Enjoy your success.

iamgpe