The secret to success

Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.
Epictetus
55 – 135 A.D.

What’s the secret to success? That question has been asked millions of times. Yet if you ask 100 different people, you’re likely to get 100 different answers.

One of the reasons you get so many different answers is that few people can even agree on what success means. If you can’t define what success is, how can you create a plan to be successful?

I don’t claim to have any particular insight on what success means to you. There are certainly lots of people who define success as some superficial achievement: money, fame, material possessions, status. My personal belief is that success is more about the inner feeling you get when you pursue your main purpose in life. That may seem a bit fuzzy, and I’m not about to ask you to accept my definition of success. You have to define success for yourself and judge if you’ve achieved it.

But let’s get back to the secret of success. No matter how you define success, I believe there are valuable insights that will help you get there easier and faster. It’s quite simple: decide what you’re not good at, what activities are not your strong suit, and stay away from those things.

Let’s go a little deeper with this concept. We’ve all been schooled in being a rugged individual, taught that we should be able to stand alone and make it on our own. We’ve also been taught to master all the skills of our trade, profession, or life. There are some things that each of us just don’t do well. If you aren’t good at a particular activity, don’t waste your time and energy trying to do it.

Using a sports analogy, don’t play games you can’t win. I’ve seen countless people struggle to play in a “game” where someone else makes the rules, owns the playing field and controls the equipment. You’ll never be able to compete in a situation like that. If you try, you’ll lose.

The most successful people decide which activities they’re good at and enjoy and then concentrate their energies on being outstanding at those activities. Trying to master a game you can’t win will doom you to failure.

Limit the number and types of activities you engage in. Make sure that when you engage in an activity, you at least have the potential to win.

Here are two “games” you’ll always lose. The first is working longer and harder to achieve the results you want. Working longer and harder simply drains our energy; working harder on all areas of your life or business will only give you marginal increases. Learn to distinguish which efforts give you the best results and concentrate your energy there.

The second “game” you’ll always lose is trying to measure success in material terms. The more you get, the more you want. When you engage in the game of striving for bigger homes, cars and material possessions, two things happen. One, you soon realize that acquiring more possessions doesn’t bring the satisfaction you expected. And two, there will always be someone who has more, has done more or has achieved more. Comparing your achievements to others’ will only produce temporary satisfaction.

A big secret to success is learning what not to do.

It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more that is poor.
Seneca
c. 4 B.C. – A.D. 65