What are the keys to success? How do we explain the fact that over time, two equally talented people often get dramatically different results? Why is that?
Some people believe success is a matter of luck. Others believe it is the result of talent or education, or "being in the right place at the right time." Some of us think it has to do with "who you know," or (let's be honest) that luck maybe does play a part.
Well. I don't think "luck" has much to do with it, except in the sense that some people have a knack for doing the right things, in the right way, at the right time, and attracting the things they want in life. And the profound, life-changing truth is that that kind of luck has nothing to do with magic or random chance!
In fact, the best metaphor for success I've found doesn't mention luck or talent at all. I think it's more accurate to describe success as a habit, as a set of behaviors and attitudes that are repeated every day until they become automatic.
A few years ago, I read that the top sales people in a large insurance company earned 54 times more than the "average" salesperson made in commissions. Think of that--some people earned 54 times more than their colleagues who were selling the same products for the same company, with the same training. How could that be?
Were the top people 54 times smarter or 54 times more talented? Would you argue they were 54 times luckier? Of course not! It turns out, the differences in income were almost entirely the result of "small differences that made all the difference."
It's true that the top sales people DID make more calls per day--but not 54 times more calls, just a few extra calls. The top people did return calls more promptly and had slightly better phone skills. The top people read more, and had a better understanding of their products, and were perhaps slightly better at communicating with prospects.
The essential piece, however, is that the top people were only a little bit better, and the things that mattered were the ordinary, routine skills that everyone has to master. It was the "little things" that made all the difference!
In a couple of months, the whole world will seem to focus on the "March Madness" national basketball tournament, and you'll see this principle at work in every single game. The winners are not necessarily more talented, younger, stronger or richer. Often the difference between winning and losing is a moment's concentration, or a small extra effort. I can safely predict that even in the national championships, the difference between winning and losing will be small, ordinary things that will ultimately make all the difference!
Winners practice for perfection. They pay more attention, they read more, they get up earlier and stay a bit later. They don't necessarily work harder, and the things they emphasize are not always big or dramatic, but they do work smarter! They focus on quality, on performance, on the "winning edge." So can you!
The keys to success are not talent or wealth or luck or education. I've often said that winners are, "ordinary people, doing ordinary things, extraordinarily well, every single day." And the good news is that you can learn this! You can absolutely master it! Just for today, do the ordinary tasks and routines of your life with extra precision, with extraordinary energy, with a bit of humor, some extra warmth, or more passion. Those are the keys to long-term success!
Some people believe success is a matter of luck. Others believe it is the result of talent or education, or "being in the right place at the right time." Some of us think it has to do with "who you know," or (let's be honest) that luck maybe does play a part.
Well. I don't think "luck" has much to do with it, except in the sense that some people have a knack for doing the right things, in the right way, at the right time, and attracting the things they want in life. And the profound, life-changing truth is that that kind of luck has nothing to do with magic or random chance!
In fact, the best metaphor for success I've found doesn't mention luck or talent at all. I think it's more accurate to describe success as a habit, as a set of behaviors and attitudes that are repeated every day until they become automatic.
A few years ago, I read that the top sales people in a large insurance company earned 54 times more than the "average" salesperson made in commissions. Think of that--some people earned 54 times more than their colleagues who were selling the same products for the same company, with the same training. How could that be?
Were the top people 54 times smarter or 54 times more talented? Would you argue they were 54 times luckier? Of course not! It turns out, the differences in income were almost entirely the result of "small differences that made all the difference."
It's true that the top sales people DID make more calls per day--but not 54 times more calls, just a few extra calls. The top people did return calls more promptly and had slightly better phone skills. The top people read more, and had a better understanding of their products, and were perhaps slightly better at communicating with prospects.
The essential piece, however, is that the top people were only a little bit better, and the things that mattered were the ordinary, routine skills that everyone has to master. It was the "little things" that made all the difference!
In a couple of months, the whole world will seem to focus on the "March Madness" national basketball tournament, and you'll see this principle at work in every single game. The winners are not necessarily more talented, younger, stronger or richer. Often the difference between winning and losing is a moment's concentration, or a small extra effort. I can safely predict that even in the national championships, the difference between winning and losing will be small, ordinary things that will ultimately make all the difference!
Winners practice for perfection. They pay more attention, they read more, they get up earlier and stay a bit later. They don't necessarily work harder, and the things they emphasize are not always big or dramatic, but they do work smarter! They focus on quality, on performance, on the "winning edge." So can you!
The keys to success are not talent or wealth or luck or education. I've often said that winners are, "ordinary people, doing ordinary things, extraordinarily well, every single day." And the good news is that you can learn this! You can absolutely master it! Just for today, do the ordinary tasks and routines of your life with extra precision, with extraordinary energy, with a bit of humor, some extra warmth, or more passion. Those are the keys to long-term success!
Thanks to Philip E. Humbert, PhD, President of Resources for Success!™ and The Philip E. Humbert Group, Inc.
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