It’s a Shock, I Know, But The Pathway to Success is Actually Surprisingly Simple.

Summary

The pathway to success is straightforward but requires doing what's needed, which is often challenging.

Abstract

The journey to success is surprisingly straightforward, involving a few simple principles that are consistent across various fields such as business, sports, and the arts. Initially, one's efforts may be unrefined, but through continuous practice and attention to detail, improvement is achieved. In writing, for instance, beginners may not know their strengths or what the market demands, but by writing regularly and exploring different styles and audiences, they discover what works for them. Success comes from identifying what resonates with the audience, focusing on those areas, and consistently producing quality work in those topics. Over time, as expertise deepens, the process becomes more natural, and success is a likely outcome.

Opinions

Success is often portrayed as complex, but it's actually based on simple, universally applicable principles.
Early attempts at a new skill will likely be poor, but they are essential stepping stones to mastery.
Writing, like any skill, improves with practice, and finding topics that interest both the writer and the audience is key to success.
Repeated failure and analysis of what doesn't work are crucial to understanding what does.
Building a reputation in a specific area comes from consistently producing content that resonates with the audience.
Success is not instant; it requires persistence, learning from mistakes, and a willingness to adapt and refine one's work.

It’s a Shock, I Know, But The Pathway to Success is Actually Surprisingly Simple.

It’s doing what’s needed that’s the hard part

Every article you read about success or successful people will tell you the same thing.

Listen to a podcast about an entrepreneur. Unless they were born with a silver spoon , they’ll ALL tell the same story.

It doesn’t matter what area you work in, whether it’s business , sport or the arts .

If you want to succeed at something it all boils down to a few simple principles.

When You Decide What You Want To Do, You’ll Do It, But Badly.

When I first began training in karate and performed a kata, it was a mess. The movements were there but there was no refinement, no snap no precision.

After months and months of repetition, the movements came more easily and I started to focus on the smaller details.

My breathing.

My posture.

My focus on each move.

If you’re writing this is especially true . When you start out you might not have any idea where your strengths lie, what you want to write about or what the market is for your writing assuming you want to make money from it.

So dip your toe in the water and write.

Take action.

Write anything.

Write articles, change your style, aim for a different audience, but write.

And keep writing.

After a while you’ll get an idea of what works and more importantly what doesn’t.

Every once in a while I have a look through my drafts folder and I look at some of the headlines and think

“Why did I never write that article?

Here’s why

Because you’re not interested in it.

Writing shouldn’t be an effort.

If it is, you’re writing about the wrong things.

I’m not saying I’m some sort of writing guru but after some pretty lamentable efforts I’ve found out what doesn’t work for me.

Your first efforts will likely be the sort of things you’ll look back on with your hands over your eyes thinking

How was that me?

Do It Badly, But From That, Find Out What Works.

In amongst all those truly awful pieces of writing, there will be something. There’s always something.

There will be an article that connected with your audience or you’ll find something you enjoy writing about.

You’ll build up a library and a database of what works and as your library grows you’ll be able to focus more precisely on those areas that your audience wants to read about.

And your audience will start to recognise you as someone who writes about certain topics.

You’ll gain followers

You’ll find research is easier as you become more attuned and more knowledgeable about your area of expertise and ideas will come to you more easily .

Do It Again

When you’ve found an area that resonates with your readers and you’re gaining an audience.

Do it again.

Obviously not the same thing over and over but keep the topic or topics the same and you become renowned for what you write about.

We know what we’re going to get when we read an article by Tim Denning. A chatty, easy-to-read article but packed with brilliant advice.

It’s like having a chat with a mate over a coffee.

That’s his skill.

But it’s taken him years to get to that stage.

Keep Doing It

When you’ve been through these stages and it may take months, it may take years, but when you get there, keep doing it.

Make amendments, make improvements but keep doing what you’re doing .

Success will follow

“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” Colin Powell