That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. -Neil Armstrong
Imagine for a moment that you are standing at one end of a very long hallway and want to get to the other end, because someone told you there is cake for you if you make it to the end. You really want the cake and want to get there as quickly as possible.
How do you propose getting to the other end?
- Do you take one giant leap for mankind?
- Do you make a mad dash for the end of the hallway, running out of steam, and then collapsing?
- Or do you take one small step for man (and woman) and then another until you reach the end of the hall and get cake?
Stop Trying to Take Giant Leaps
Why when attempting to start a business, learn a new skill or attempt something greater than ourselves, do many of us see our goal, the end of the hall, as one giant leap or a mad dash to exhaustion instead of a series of small steps? To make that leap, many of us spend thousands of dollars on products that are supposed to make us money while we sleep, teach us a new language overnight, or let us lose 50 pounds in a month. Those are some huge leaps that you just have to stop taking.
“Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” – Tony Robbins
The Myth of an Overnight Success
“But Chris”, you say, “I see all these people on television, in books, and writing blogs that were no one yesterday and now they are household names. You can’t tell me there is no such thing as an overnight success. I have seen it!”
(Disclaimer: To Comply with FTC Guides, I have to disclose to you (my intelligent reader) that the following links are affiliate links. You have been disclaimed . . . but I think you might have known that already.)
If you have read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, or watched this video by Chris Brogan, then you might have picked up on the idea that the term “overnight success” is misleading. Studying the history of successful people in business, sports, and music, you will find that their success didn’t come from one giant leap. Their success came from focusing on the end of the hallway, their goals, and taking one step at a time to get their cake.
Focusing on the goal at the end of the hall takes a lot of patience, faith, and skill . . . but others have done it.
Will you?
If you liked this post, then you should also check out:
Great entry, Chris. I’d add to that by asking: Do you get pissed off when you trip on a little step and give up?
As you point out, success is developed over years and decades…and even then, it doesn’t mean every thing they did in that time span was successful. For example, Sony builds nice stuff…but remember BetaMax?
That is a very good point. I will have to add the idea of not giving up when you trip on small steps to my blog idea file. Thanks!