The Success Myth: Why Luck, Privilege, and Opportunity Have Nothing To Do With It
Consistency is the Key to your success
I want to talk to
you about the success myth
People who become super successful are often said to be lucky, to have gotten a hand up, to have gone to a good university, or to have had opportunities handed to them
I want to dispel these myths
My favourite writer and hero is JK Rowling
She's had stunning success with the Harry Potter series and became the first billionaire author
Her story began over 25 years ago when her mother died and she took a teaching job in Portugal where she met her husband
But her marriage was a disaster, so she returned to the UK with her daughter and described that time as one of the darkest in her life
She decided that she would pursue her writing - the only thing she says she cared about aside from raising her daughter
Her writing was a passion that got her through a very dark and difficult time
She pursued it with fervour and with consistency because her writing was a great comfort to her
I can totally relate
That is my comfort zone
When I'm in dark spaces, I go to the keyboard and start writing
JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series over several years
She sent it to several agents and was rejected many times, but she didn't give up
Finally, she was published by Bloomsbury after the 13th rejection so there were lots of hard times and rejection, but she kept going
It's a myth that education guarantees success
Just look at JK Rowling again
She took an entrance exam into Oxford but wasn't accepted so she went to Exeter University and graduated with an F in French and the classics
I met a guy a few years ago who is one of the wealthiest people I've ever met
He owned over 50 service stations
We were both getting our cars washed and started chatting
He told me his story of how he emigrated from Poland to the US with just a hundred dollars and a suitcase
He had to work many jobs just to put food on the table for his family, but he pulled himself up and became one of the wealthiest people in LA
So it's a myth that education and openings in corporate will naturally lead to success
The other myth about success is that all you have to do is dream and visualise
This is simply not true - action is required for success, consistent action, whatever that action may be
For example, if you are looking to improve your career, your action could be to engage a career coach
Alternatively, you could deliver more at your place of work to allow your bosses and managers to get to know you as someone who is reliable and always delivers
So when promotions come around, you are front of mind for your bosses because they know you as an action taker
This is what counts for a lot more in creating success in your life, not just dreaming and sitting back waiting for something to happen
The other success myth is that a rejection means you stop?
No, if JK Rowling had stopped at the first rejection or the second rejection or the third rejection, we would not have had the joy and privilege of enjoying the whole Harry Potter series
And I, for one, would be pretty sad
So back to rejection, rejection doesn't mean you stop on the road to success
When applying for jobs, it's often not the first job that you apply for that lands you the job
For some people it is, but for many people, it’s not
Simply getting an interview is a measure of success because sometimes, when you get a chance to interview with a company, even if you're not the right candidate or you're not the best candidate in their eyes for that particular role, many of them keep information and reach out again if another opportunity comes up where you are more suitable
So for me, the three major success myths are thinking that an expensive education guarantees success, that all we have to do is dream and visualise, and success will automatically come, and that rejection means you stop
Only one or two actions never guarantee success and it is rarely an overnight thing
So many people say JK Rowling was lucky to become the first billionaire author, but they only see the tip of the success iceberg that occurred around 1997 when the Harry Potter books blasted onto the scene and became one of the most widely read books of all time
And then obviously, she went on to do the remaining six novels
But underneath, there are years of consistency, struggle, rejection, and perseverance
If I had to say one thing that guarantees success, it is consistency
Consistently getting up when you fall, consistently doing the action that leads to success, even when applying for jobs, the key is consistency