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A Model of Success

Success = talent + strategy (systems) + tactics (effort) + luck.

And maybe a dash of apparent stupidity or stubbornness.

Goals are important, as they provide clarity of ideas, strength of conviction, and direction of effort. We can use our goals to decide what not to do. In physics, we distinguish between speed and velocity. The former is undirected motion, the latter is directed. Before taking on a project we need to ask, we need to be clear why we want to do it, how to do it, and what specifics would be involved (the sequence is important).

At the goal-setting stage, we need to broaden our scope. Perhaps start by asking if failure wasn't a factor, what would we like to do.

Then the expansive thinking must be followed by directed effort. This is where habits become important. Start small (what if you make it very easy in the beginning?), keep records, use a commitment device. Perfectionism is a cop-out — regular effort beats waiting for inspiration.

I do believe there is a role of mindfulness practice in keeping us motivated. Because when we fail momentarily, we need an inner source of resilience and compassion to ourselves, other wise we can get distracted from our path by a toxic loop of self-hatred and denial.

Much of talent is innate. We have a higher chance of success if we find our groove. But it's an unfortunate fact that most of us don't find a niche where we are completely suited for.
Finally, luck. People who under-appreciate the role of luck, tend to be those who are unaware of the survivorship bias. Uncertainty tends to breed anxiety, but it's unavoidable and may even have an upside.

When circumstances become tough, stubbornness may be important to ride the wave, but it's difficult to know the boundary between a doomed effort and necessary hardship. People who are really successful have had their strategy questioned by others holding conventional wisdom. Sometimes, you have to be apparently wrong to be really really right.


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