Why do you think some people achieve great success while others don’t? Talent, Luck, Intelligence, Physical attributes?
According to Malcom Gladwell, it’s everything, but one element stands out more than others.
It’s seizing an opportunity that made them exceptional.
Before the Beatle were the Beatles, they played at a strip club in Hamburg for 3 years. They racked up about 1200 live shows as the owners had them playing around the clock.
When they went mainstream, they had already played as much as some long standing bands play in a lifetime. Do you think that gave them an edge?
Absolutely. They were obviously very talented, intelligent, etc. It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to become a Master of Your Craft. But that gave them a powerful edge that most bands didn’t have.
Another example is Bill Gates. He was in high school in the 60’s and was one of the only high school students in the country that had access to a Mainframe. He learned how to code and it was a big deal because not many kids his age knew how to do this. When he started Microsoft in the late 70’s, he dropped out of Harvard to start it. But he had a very powerful edge – 99.99% of people didn’t know how to code, but he did. The man is exceptional in every way, but this experience was a game changer to develop software.
They were Masters of their Craft who seized big opportunities that ultimately made then exceptional. Their passions led them there.
Outliers made me realize that having the opportunity to fail when I did, is something I never could have done today and it’s paid more dividends than I ever thought.
So seize the day when you can.
