The Science of Success
Have you ever wondered why some people succeed while others don’t?
Have you ever thought, “Hey, I’m smarter than that guy!” while watching them excel while you struggle?
Last weekend I watched a documentary on Curiosity Stream called “The Science of Success” and one of the researchers said something that reframed my ideas about success.
Paraphrasing…
Performance is dependent on you.
Success is the reward for your performance given to you by others.
Bluntly, success isn’t up to you. It’s a measure of how much others VALUE what you are doing. And let’s face it, people are finicky.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t increase your chances of success. But, if you’re stuck thinking success is only dependent on your performance, you might be in for disappointment.
The researchers go on to provide analysis of two artists who are similar in their style of work, the time in which they work, and where they live. Yet one becomes successful while the other lives in obscurity. The two of them were even close friends when they were still up-and-coming.
The researchers also mapped the connections between art institutions (galleries, museums, influential people, etc.) based on how they impacted the careers of artists who had become successful.
The analysis showed that success for the artists was highly correlated with two factors:
WHERE they started showing their work in that network of institutions.
WHO they’re connected to in those institutions.
You might take away from the analysis that starting in the right place and knowing the right people are the keys to success. You wouldn’t be wrong. But that doesn’t mean that other factors such as performance and luck don’t matter.
Often, knowing the right person and showing your art at the right gallery (in this example) happens because you are putting out great work and putting yourself in a position to meet with the right people. It’s what some might call serendipity and others call luck.
My belief is that luck plays a part in success. And while you can’t control luck, you can stack the deck in your favor through performance (usually the result of putting in the work) and smart networking.
I recommend spending an hour watching “The Science of Success.” If you don’t have Curiosity Stream, it’s well worth the $20/yr for the HD plan.
Now let’s apply these concepts to your business. You might already be working hard but who are the people, groups, or other businesses that can help you along your way? Are you connected to them somehow? How can you get introduced to them?
In the IRL world, that might mean being at the right events, co-working spaces, and networking events to name a few. But, in our online world, that also means taking part in the right communities, masterminds, curating social networks, and creating peer groups.
If you’re not already connected, you know what to do. Now go forth and succeed!
If you want to do a deeper dive, check out “The Science of Success” (AMZN book referenced in the documentary of the same name) by Dashun Wan and Albert-Laszlo Barabasi.
Other Stuff That Caught My Attention
But I’m Smarter Than THAT Guy!
That may be, but intelligence alone isn’t the key to success. Too often we credit the wrong behaviors with success or failure and as a result don’t properly apply ourselves. I’m not a fan of hustle culture, but there is something to be said for hard work AND smart work.
The Magic of Compounding
[VIDEO] Author Malcolm Gladwell articulates some great points about how success is compounded by success. It might sound like the deck is stacked in favor of those who are already successful, but reframing the idea also suggests that your chances of success increase if you just get started, achieve your first win, and build on it from there.
When a Problem Isn’t a Problem
Speaking of reframing… Knowing how to reframe problems, or any idea, is one of the most powerful tools you can use to be successful. There are a number of ways to reframe and learning to do so is a great exercise in creativity, even if you think you’re not creative.
Learning to reframe can also give you an edge by learning to see things in a different way than everyone else, exposing pitfalls and opportunities that might elude your competition.
Snark In the City
Laura Belgary is a master of voice and being true to herself in her business. She’s built her copywriting business to 7-figures plus. She’s no longer taking clients but is still teaching people how to be their authentic selves through their writing. And this podcast is just flat out fun to listen to.
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