Formula For Success...

There is no formula for success…or so you would think, because we hear about failure every day. We are bombarded with negatives on TV, the internet and well meaning friends. Everyone is living their own failures. Can we make success our default? The short answer is ABSOLUTELY YES!

The answer to my point above; there is no formula for success; I’m leaning on a friend for his insight and innovative thinking. Simon Sinek is a world traveler and mentor to 100’s of CEO’s for Fortune 500 Company’s; he is a strategic thinker and has the uncanny ability to make the most difficult challenges seem mundane. Simon’s comments on “there is no formula for success; meaning there is no specific quantity of ingredients that, if you mix them together, will make you successful. However, there is an equation for success.

Talent + Effort + Luck = Success

Winning the lottery, for example, takes all luck, no talent and minimal effort. The success, if you define success as making money, is real. The money has the same buying power as someone who worked hard for it, but the lottery didn't require much talent or effort and, as a result, is hard to repeat.

There are ball players, for example, who are born with remarkable talent who, with some effort, make it to the big leagues. There are also plenty of players who may not have as much talent but have a remarkable work ethic, put in a remarkable amount of effort and also make it to the big leagues. One is not more effective than the other; it is just a different balance of the equation. Both probably require some element of luck, however.

Talent is something you’re born with. Effort is something you apply. And luck is well…just luck. But all three matter for success.

Understanding this equation allows us to rely on our talents in some cases, put in a little extra effort in others and always appreciate the luck that helps along the way.

Perspective is a wonderful and often undervalued proposition; I encourage everyone to gain as much perspective of a challenge. Do the research, talk to other stakeholders, throw potential solutions on the wall, tear them apart, think, challenge the status quo, collaborate, laugh, try harder, re-write…that makes for great success and strengthens the team.

Let’s look at several people that have gained success in their profession and what they think it takes to get there…

“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks other’s have thrown at him.” – David Brinkley

“Action is the foundational key to ALL success.” – Pablo Picasso

“Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” – Dale Carnegie

Talent + Effort + Luck = Success

You know your strengths, as well as your short comings. Make it part of your DNA to modestly lean on your strengths, while working on what you think are your weaknesses through research, stepping out of your comfort zone to push yourself to do the things you know need to get done. And along the way, I’ve found the harder and smarter you work, the luckier you get.

The formula for success is not always easy, but it will always lead to enlightenment, new opportunities and a sense of accomplishment.

Let’s make 2011 the best year of our lives. If you can dream it, and put in the hard work, you will make great things happen and assuredly luck will find you.

Pay It Forward

Good Deeds…Paying it Forward…


In today’s local newspaper and Associated Press article titled; “The Power of Getting Disconnected,” hit a nerve. When I contrast the article with the recent 100 Day Challenge I just finished; my personal challenge will be a twist on the “Pay It Forward” mindset.

Throughout the 100 Day Challenge we were challenged to take 100% responsibility for our actions and equally important to challenge the status quo within your family, business, church and community. Allow me to share the driving quote for the 100 Day Challenge;

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. All the times you can. To all the people you can. For as long as you can.”
- John Wesley

Paying it forward can have significant positive influences on society. Paying it forward starts with you, in a small way—the next time you fly, leave in the seat back pocket the magazine you bought before your flight. Hold the door open for someone approaching the door, you’ll see smiles. The next time you’re dining out, make sure you tell your wait person how well they did, and reflect it in your tip, call the manager over and thank them for hiring such good people. The next time you see a young family that you know are struggling to put gas in the car, pay for their tank of gas, you’ll never miss the money. It goes a very long way and reciprocity happens. And serial reciprocity can change a nation. Paying it forward changes our perspective; we go from immediate satisfaction to a longer view of future vs. present and know today’s action will have a real and measurable affect on tomorrow.

Albert Einstein knew it and said, “A Life Lived for Others Is the Only Life Worth Living.”

Paying it forward starts local and small. Mother Teresa was eloquent in her challenge, “If You Can’t Feed 100 People, Then Just Feed One.”

There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life—happiness, freedom, and peace of mind—are always attained by GIVING them to someone else.

Getting disconnected from the “grid” allows us to regain perspective. Paying it forward allows your heart to expand and serve the needs of a society craving for happiness, freedom and peace of mind. My challenge is to reach out, look for opportunities and take action to pay it forward. Always being mindful of the change society dearly needs, and reflect that change in my actions. I’m confident we can change the world, one good deed at a time. Being benevolent, anonymous, meaningful and purposeful about paying it forward will begin the shift we always talk about. Let’s start right now, where can you pay it forward?

Paying it forward will bring you closer to Surpassing Your Limits.