To Become Successful — Be Boring

Quitting and starting something new is not an option.

Success is fun. The road to success is usually dull. Most people can’t stand boredom, so they end up having a “fun road,” but “boring success.”

Having a published book is fun.

But if you want to become a successful writer, you’ve got to show up every day and write. The more your days resemble The Groundhog Day, the better.

I view my book writing days as steps in a marathon. You don’t run a marathon in 5 seconds; you do it step by step.

Having financial security is fun.

But slowly paying your debts, sacrificing impulsive desires, and saving money to invest is boring. As they say in investing circles, “If you want fun, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.”

Real minimum-risk investing — not gambling or day trading crypto — usually involves boring methods like index funds, bonds, etc. I lost money investing every time I wanted to “have fun.”

Having a business that works for you is fun.

But doing most of the things yourself, especially in the beginning, is tedious and difficult. Selling is annoying (and hard). So is hiring. Micro-managing. Delegating. Fixing a gazillion things at once. Not knowing when you’ll (finally) get your lucky break — and a wealthy investor will want to buy you.

Having a blog that makes you money is fun.

But beating Resistance and the fear of being embarrassed is tough. Forcing yourself not to check your stats every 5 seconds and not knowing how much money you made is boring.

We’re all sold on the idea of an “overnight success”. In reality, it’s doing the little boring things that keep you going and make any success possible.

The definition of boredom is not having anything new. But achieving success is not about keeping you entertained. It’s about sticking to whatever you are doing, becoming better, and getting results.

There is no way around boredom. Quitting and starting something new (which most people do when it gets too boring) is not an option. You’ll get bored in your new venture just the same. Fighting your way through boredom is your only option.

As one entrepreneur said:

«The difference between winning and losing is most often just not quitting»

When you do boring things, you minimize the risk and get to stay in the game for another day. The little boring things add up, and you build momentum. That’s when success comes and when you become unstoppable.

If the world can’t see your progress, you’re probably doing everything right. “The big money is not in buying and selling. It’s in the waiting…” said Charlie Munger.

Do boring things now. Have fun later.

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