The Recipe for Success Lies in the Gusto of the Secret Sauce
1 c. of skills, 16 oz. of action, and simmer on low for as long as it takes.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m always looking for the “secret sauce.” It’s not that I’m not willing to put in the hard work to achieve something. I just tell myself that I want to tap into the expertise of someone who has succeeded before me.
I want to have the “formula for success”:
- A way to lose 7 lbs in 7 days.
- A checklist for getting an article curated on Medium.
- An investment strategy that ensures high returns.
- A proven funnel to sell my online course.
What I’ve come to realize is that there usually is no shortcut to success.
You want fast results.
Most of us can relate to weight loss as an example of wanting fast results. We all know HOW to lose weight — eat less and move more. So why do you fall for the next “fad diet” that promises fantastic results in a short time?
You want the outcome as quickly as possible. You’re hoping that someone has found the “secret sauce” and is willing to share it with you. You want to know how to get to the finish line faster.
You want a formula for success.
I look for the “secret sauce” because I want a formula — a step-by-step process that I can follow to achieve something. Why? I want to take all the personal decision-making out of the equation.
Going back to the dieting example, if I have a menu plan to follow, I just eat what’s on the menu — nothing to decide. No options are involved.
If there’s no plan, the constant decision-making can become tedious and provide a lot of margin for error. For example, I might think that just because fruit is allowed on my diet, I can eat an entire packet of Medjool dates. However, I’ll find that I’ve consumed way too many calories if I do.
Knowledge is essential, but practice leads to mastery.
The magic formula for success involves much more than gathering knowledge or skills. If you’re going to succeed at anything, you need to reach a certain level of mastery of that topic. Mastery requires knowledge, but it also requires practice.
In his book Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell says you can master any skill with 10,000 hours of practice. I don’t know 10,000 hours is the magic number, but to master anything, you need a combination of knowledge and action.
There’s nothing wrong with buying books or courses that give you the required skills. However, I often complete a course and then put it on the shelf (figuratively) without ever doing the work needed to get the results!
Does that resonate with you? Are you a buyer of knowledge who rarely follows through with the necessary action?
Consistent action is the “secret sauce.”
So let’s assume that you have or can quickly get the knowledge or skills. The “secret sauce” — if there ever was one — is in taking consistent action.
Time and time again, I’ve seen that those who succeed do two things: 1. They commit, and 2. They take small steps every day, like the tortoise.
It might look like they’re moving very slowly, but they soon have (sometimes extraordinary) results to show for themselves. When it comes to dieting, losing 1–2 lbs every week will add up over time.
Where does that leave the hare? Those of us who wanted to race to the finish line for immediate gratification?
If you’re like me, you’ve possibly thrown in the towel because you didn’t achieve immediate results. Just like the hare who decided to take a nap beside the road because he was so far ahead, while the slow but steady tortoise passed him and beat him to the finish line.
The “secret sauce” lies in taking steady and consistent action.
The takeaways
- Make a commitment.
- Gather the necessary skills and knowledge.
- Take steady, consistent action — walk instead of sprinting.
- Don’t give up — keep going — no matter what — because you’ve committed.