The Myth of Midas touch

Beginning of my career I had this idea, to be successful or considered a success one needs to have that Midas touch. I never, thought of it as a false expectation and lead me into some frustrating positions in my work, in some cases extreme stress and a sense of incompetence. If I did not have I this touch at something I did, thought that I was not fit for the job I was doing and bound to be labelled a failure.

Over the years I have realized this mindset is a recipe for disaster. Having a Midas touch mindset is contrary to the Growth Mindset so brilliantly articulated by Carol Dweck. If I were to tell my twenty-year-old self, I would tell it's ok to fail and fail multiple times. There is no reason to label oneself as being incompetent. There is a difference between feeling incompetent and labeling oneself as incompetent. Although the difference is subtle it can make a big impact on performance and motivation to keep persevering.

So people who equate Midas touch with competence I would ask you to think again and revisit this position. One needs to give enough space and keep trying and not give up just because you did not get that perfect score or the code had a bug when it was run for the third time.

One thing to realize after all the Midas touch is a myth at the end of the day!!