The One Thing that Determines Success
and failure.
Success or failure often depends on one thing. That one thing can be traced to success or failures in nearly every endeavor.
Before I mention the two cause of success and failure, I want to pull back the curtain and tell you about two fundamental fallacies that are behind them.
Fallacy 1: If something is good for me, I will know right away.
Thon goes to the gym every day for a week and does a light workout. Thon is not any stronger. Therefore, going to the gym does not help. Thon quits.
Or thon goes to the gym and performs an intense workout. Thon wakes up so sore thon can hardly get out of bed. Exercise is not good. Thon quits.
Thon reads about a new diet. Thon tries it for a week. Thon does not lose any weight. The diet does not work. Thon quits.
Thon goes to college for a year. It seems to be a waste of time. So, thon quits.
Key is quitting to soon.
Fallacy 2: If something is bad for me, I will know right away.
Thon tries a glass of wine. Thon feels a little better. The wine tastes good. Thon will have another. Thon wakes up the next day feeling great. Wine is not bad. Might even be good. Thon drinks more and more. One day thon realizes thon is an alcoholic.
Thon loves doughnuts and coffee. They make thon feel great. Thon also sneaks a couple of candy bars and cookies during the day. Thon continues. One day thon is obese.
Key is continuing to do something harmful.
The key to both fallacies is that we cannot judge what we are doing by immediate feedback. Fallacy 1 results in failures because we quit too soon. Fallacy 2 results in failures because we fail to quit.
I’ve read, “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” That applies to quitting too soon. The Edison lab performed over 6000 experiments to develop the incandescent light bulb. He succeeded. Many stopped trying. I have read stories of people who found gold or diamonds after buying a failed mine and digging just a little farther.
The other side is changing course or quitting in time. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point being a damn fool about it.” W. C. Fields. At what point do we give up? Or do we maintain the goal and just change course?
What is the one thing? Will! The victims of both fallacies are allowing their bodies to determine their lives. They aren’t really using their will to think and stop doing what is harmful or to keep doing what is beneficial.
The super successful often tap something that others do not. They trust their gut. They make decisions quickly and change them slowly. They continue until they reach their goals. They have learned to trust some part of themselves that has proven to be right. It is something much more than the ordinary person even contemplates. In fact, those super successful people are often ridiculed along the way.
The super successful also change course. They get feedback and check it against their gut. Where some people will just deny reality and continue the course, the super successful seem to bend reality. They question what they see and look for a new path to success.
Set your goal. See and feel yourself reaching your goal. If you feel unworthy or scared, analyze your feelings. Wrong goal? Or wrong feelings? Perhaps you need some help reframing how you think. Set a plan. Get to work. Monitor your progress. Change the plan based on the results.
Just by being aware of the two fallacies, you will change how you make decisions. Look for feedback. Stop and think. Allow new thoughts to come to you. Do a gut check. Your gut will not always be right. You have to train yourself. It will be a skill worth developing.