“Most people can’t handle success, authority, or privilege. It destroys them. It makes them lazy. When they get what they want, they stop doing the very things that got them there.” -Benjamin P. Hardy
Many people are desperate for success and will do everything they can to get it.
They will miss sleep, forgo meals, or even ruin their marriage just to be considered “successful.” That’s fine, it’s all a matter of priority.
However, getting it and keeping it are two very different things. When most people get to the top, they simply fall back down. For example, nearly half of all artists that create a ‘chart-topping’ track become one-hit wonders.
Hence, Greg McKeown has said,
“Success is a catalyst for failure.”
Indeed, if you’re not careful, success will destroy you. It will make you lazy, unmotivated, apathetic, and lethargic.
However, this article is about how to do the opposite.
Here we go.
Never Stop Being Willing to Fail
“If you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” -Neil Gaiman
It’s easy to fail when you have nothing. It’s all future. You’re just trying to make it. You’ll happily throw darts at the dartboard just to see what sticks.
But once a few start to stick, things can quickly go downhill. For many, their focus begins to shift. They stop throwing darts anywhere and become overly focused on replicating prior results.
Rather than simply following the natural creativity that got them there in the first place, they become plagued by perfection and seek to create “what’s hot.” However, that’s not a good place.
For example, people often ask me if there’s a “formula” I use to create successful blog posts, but there is none. If there were, they wouldn’t be successful.
You can’t keep succeeding by doing what you’ve done in the past — what got you here won’t get you there.
Of course, you can take what worked in the past, however, never get stuck there. Be willing to give up what you have for something bigger.
Because beyond mountains, there will always more mountains. You’re not going to be able to stay where you are for too long. You’ll either fall down the same way you’ve come up or move on to bigger and greater heights.
The question is: Which will you choose?
“Before you ever reach a goal, already have the next mountain or two in mind.” — Benjamin P. Hardy
Don’t Stay the Smartest Person in the Room for Too Long
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” -Marissa Meyer
Many people want to be told how good they are. They want status and approval. They want to look and sound smart.
However, if your goal is more than 30 seconds of fame, you’ll need to walk away from all of that. You’ll need to leave that room and start again with a beginners mindset.
Why? Because constant admiration can quickly lead to a fixed-mindset.
You can begin to believe your own press and be content with what you’ve done in the past rather look to what you’re doing in the future. And that’s not where growth occurs.
To quote Leonardo DiCaprio, “Every next level of your life will demand a different you.”
Similarly, Albert Einstein has said,
“One cannot deal with a problem with the same thinking that creates it.”
Indeed, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. So, why join an easy crowd? Why not go where the demands to perform are high?
Why not put yourself into a situation where you’re forced to either sink or swim?
Indeed, you get to decide all of this. You get to decide what room you’re in and how steep your learning curve is.
So, where will you end up?
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