Why Nothing Will Ever Completely “Set” You up For Success
Success is a process, not a destination
Like a donkey ridden by dangling a carrot in its face, society feeds us this elusive lie all our lives — do X and you’ll be successful.
First, it’s behaving yourself in primary school. Then, it’s scoring high grades. Landing a good college. Getting top grades again. Bagging a lucrative job offer. Then, it’s a constant grind for the pay-raise.
Did I mention how while most get stuck in the rut wheel of their job, the world moves on, and suddenly one day, they’re fired, their work has become obsolete?
The pandemic shook us awake to the dreadful realization that you can’t rely on your job alone. And no, self-employment or side hustles aren’t anywhere as rosy as they’re made out to be.
“Success isn’t supposed to happen, no matter how hard you work. There’s no guarantee you’re going to succeed. There’s nothing set in stone.”
— Kevin Hart
The idea of the existence of something that will set you up for lifetime success is flawed.
“Making It” Is a Myth
What do people that have “made it” do with their time?
Success porn makes it look like it’s all yacht parties, private jets, and luxury getaways. But in reality, they’d be furiously negotiating deals, fussing over their running businesses, and sweating over their investments.
“Passive income” is a word that’s been wetting every tongue over the past few years. But as Amardeep Parmar beautifully explains, no income is truly passive.
Even the closest thing to “passive income”, which is investing in dividend stocks, isn’t passive.
You need to monitor your stocks, read through their annual reports, stay abreast of economical and financial happenings, and balance your portfolio from time to time. To top it all off, dividends are neither guaranteed nor stable.
“Automated” online businesses, be it selling courses or publishing ebooks, aren’t passive either. The products might be one-time creations, but the selling?
It requires constant effort.
You Can’t Stand Still in A Rapidly Moving World
The pace at which our world is progressing is beyond mind-boggling.
Just 15 years ago, we didn’t have the now-ubiquitous YouTube, Facebook, Google Chrome, or iPhones. 20 years back, TVs weren’t ultra-sleek and light plates of reality, they were blocky blurry boxes. And in the last 2 decades, video games went from Pixelated messes to surreally complex.
No living soul can predict what the world will be like in the next 10 years.
Progress means change. And change means the need to adapt — “setting” yourself up for success and chilling will leave you in the dust.
“The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
— Alvin Toffler
As brutal as it might sound, not only your job but the entire field of your work might vanish — updated to something entirely different or automated.
You might do X and become successful. But you may need to constantly do X, Y, and Z to stay successful.
4 Keys to Staying Successful in An Uncertain World
#1. Become an Eternal Learner
Knowledge is power and in a changing world, the only way to sustain power is by keeping yourself updated.
And with the boon that we call the internet, anything you want to learn is but a google search away — courses, YouTube videos, articles, Reddit threads, podcasts, forums, ebooks, etc.
#2. Don’t Resist Change
As an online writer, change is the constant — platforms change, algorithms change, trends change, and people’s tastes change.
It’s a constant game of trial and error. Initially, I didn’t find this to my taste, but then realized — it’s an allegory of life itself. If I can’t adapt to change in one aspect, how will I do in the others?
“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong.”
— Mandy Hale
My full-time job is one rife with change as well — software development. Today, a new piece of technology or software causes an uproar in the community, and tomorrow it’s obsolete.
#3. Have Options (In Everything)
The age-old adage “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” encapsulates a powerful life lesson — Freedom = Options.
Would getting fired from a job bother you when you have side-hustles? When you’re seeing multiple people, would a bad date bother you? And would one sinking investment dent a well-balanced portfolio?
To develop options, you need to build an abundance mindset—and that means not getting comfortable in one particular thing. No matter how high-paying your job or how good-looking your date is, don’t latch on.
Keep exploring, keep building options.
#4. Fall in Love with The Process
Willpower in anything can only take you so far — only a burning passion will see you till the end.
A mediocre writer whose very soul is inflamed by writing will beat a gifted wordsmith that hates words. Someone with sub-par genetics that orgasms to lifting weights will develop a better physique than a loafer with God-tier genetics.
It’s not a question of working hard — when your heart is in something, hard work will feel like play. So pursuing something you are naturally passionate about is the best long-term bet.
But because of life circumstances, this might not always be possible. Nothing to worry though — as if you stick to something for long enough while trying to enjoy every second, you’ll naturally develop a passion for it.
So, try to do what you love, and if you can’t, love what you do.