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Communication, Motivation, Productivity, Success

The Hardest Truth People Learn That Makes Them Much More Successful Than The Others

Written by Archita Mittra
wordsmith, graphic designer, ideator, creative consultant, full time freelancer

Do you sometimes wonder why some people are much more successful than the others? Are they really more intelligent? Is it something to do with inborn talents? Or is it all a matter of luck?

Most of us know people who seem to lead much better lives than us. They seem to have it so much easier. As if success was just handed to them on a silver platter for them to enjoy. We admire and are often jealous of such acquaintances and colleagues.

The question is, what is it about them that makes them so different and more prone to success? The answer is quite simple. The problem isn’t with them. It’s with us.

And The Hardest Truth Is This:

The hardest truth that we need to know is this: everybody, and yes EVERYBODY sucks at the beginning. And here’s what most people do: they try a little bit, stumble and just give up way too soon. Only those who persist and persevere at all costs are the successful ones.

As this Quora user [1] points out:

Your first 100 blog posts will suck.

Your first 5 books will suck.

Your first 30 talks in public will suck.

Your first 50 paintings will suck.

Your first 100 songs will suck.

Your first 40 YouTube videos will suck.

Yes, I made all of those numbers up.

And it doesn’t matter.

What matters is to understand that you’ll suck at everything in the beginning.

Just like I suck at everything in the beginning.

Just like everybody else sucks at everything in the beginning.

It all takes time. And persistence. And patience.

Most people rush through life. So they don’t have enough time.

Most people believe in overnight success. So they just stop when it doesn’t happen over night.

Most people get everything they want right away. So if they don’t, they just want something else.

So most people just give up.

And everything sucks..

This Is What You Gotta Do

So there you have it. The secret of life. If you want to be good at something, practice, practice and practice. Do whatever it takes to get there. At first you’re going to stumble, perhaps even injure yourself really bad and almost give up. And that is the crucial moment where you have to decide: do you want to go back to your normal life and remain a failure? Or do you want to try again, fail a little and keep trying till you get there?

Let’s say you’re a writer. Your first novel might not sell well but that doesn’t mean you should go back to a 9 to 5 job that sucks out all your creativity. Even when the rejection letters keep piling, you know you have a long road ahead. If you’re an athelete and you’ve lost miserably in a championship, it means that you’re destined for success- all you have to do is to put in more effort. If you’re a graphic designer and you aren’t getting enough clients- it means you have to be grateful for how far you’ve come and dive deeper into your work and produce more outstanding stuff. Whatever you do, don’t stop trying and don’t stop believing.

And Here Are The Famous People Who Failed

Do you want real life examples  [2] ? Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first TV job as an anchor and now she’s a billionaire with her own TV show. Steven Spielberg was rejected TWICE by the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Walt Disney was told by his newspaper editor that he ‘lacked imagination and had no good ideas’. And Stephen King’s first book Carrie was rejected 30 times before it saw light of day and spawned a franchise.

So wherever you are and whatever you do, remember this: if you want to be successful, you’re going to suck A LOT at first, but don’t let failure get you down.

Featured photo credit: Ed Gregory via stokpic.com

Reference

[1]Quora: What is the hardest truth you had to accept that made you stronger
[2]http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/15-highly-successful-people-who-failed-their-way-success.html