Angela Duckworth

When it has to be great.

There are some areas of your life where it will likely be good enough to be good enough.  It’s not that you won’t try to do well, but we can’t possibly be perfect at everything.  There are other areas that are so meaningful, so paramount to your dreams, that nothing less than great will be accepted. You have to decide for yourself which of those areas you are operating in, and when you focus on being great, you have to consider the price.

When you consider the price of greatness, ask yourself if you’re willing to invest to be the best.   In the book Grit – The Power of Passion of Perseverance Angela Duckworth discusses her research and findings on the psychology of human accomplishment.  In the formula below, Duckworth points out that while “talent” is important, “effort” appears twice in the equation.

“Talent + Effort = Skill.  Skill + Effort = Accomplishment.”

It takes twice the effort to move talent to accomplishment.  When it has to be great, you must be willing to put in twice the effort that it takes to be good enough.

Take Stock.  Before you start on your path to great, you should understand what it will take and gear yourself up for the task.  Research others who have achieved great results and look for common attributes.  If possible, focus your view specifically on those in the area you aspire to succeed.  Take stock in the price of success and determine that you will pay that price.

“I know the price of success: dedication hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.”- Frank Lloyd Wright

Take Action.  Start.  You will never reach the finish line if you don’t get moving.  You know the price. Now set your plan in motion.  Achieve the first goal, pay the first price.  Each time you do you will be energized to keep going. Take action.

“The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.” – Meister Eckhart

Take Heart. Greatness. It’s hard to explain but once experienced it’s harder to not want more.  Once you exert that extra effort it takes to be better than good enough you will reap the rewards of being great.  Then the price of success becomes something enjoyable to pay.  Take heart, the process becomes its own reward.

“You do not pay the prices of success, you enjoy the price of success.” – Zig Ziglar

Success is a process – what will you do next?

Success is an elusive goal that’s fleeting and requires constant focus and effort.  Have we ever really “made it?”  By accomplishing the goals you set for yourself, you were successful.  But notice the word “were.” Success is a process of achievement that we must strive for on every effort.

In the book Grit – The Power of Passion of Perseverance Angela Duckworth discusses her research and findings on the psychology of human accomplishment.  In the formula below, Duckworth points out that while “talent” is important, “effort” appears twice in the equation. 

“Talent + Effort = Skill.  Skill + Effort = Accomplishment.” – Angela Duckworth 

The process of success is made of three steps:  Do what you can – Learn more – Do the next thing. 

Do what you can.  Why aren’t we willing to do something if we can’t do everything?  It’s as if we believe that nothing worthwhile can come from what we offer unless we can’t offer the best there is.  Part of that is true but with a qualifier.  There is great value in what can offer, if it is the best we can do at the moment.

Don’t compare your best with that of anyone else, use your talent and skill to do the best you can right where you are. Recognizing when we do that, we will continue to improve and out best will get better. 

“Leave your ego at the door every morning, and just do some truly great work. Few things will make you feel better than a job brilliantly done.” – Robin S. Sharma

Learn more.  With every action, there is an opportunity to learn and improve in preparation for the next action.  No matter the result, whether it worked just as planned or not, take away something that you will do better the next time.

Invest in your growth: read a book, listen to a podcast, ask questions, practice, and keep a look out for ideas you can use.

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin

Do the next thing.   Now that you have done your best and learned some more, it’s time to do your new best.  Strive to apply all that your talent, skill, and effort has brought to this effort, and the next, and the next… 

“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.” – Marie Curie

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