Articles

Success Compounds

Have you noticed that it’s much easier to get ”another” success once you get the first one?

A common denominator of all humans is the desire to attain their goals which can then be interpreted as success. However, many struggle to achieve these goals because of an endless reason. Yet, a pattern that has been obvious throughout history shows that success in one area attracts or makes success easier in another area. It is only alarming that not everyone is aware of this pattern, hence, very few leverage it.

Our goal more often than not is to move from your zero (no success) to one (first success). Then the universe will show you her abundance.

Such movement isn’t always easy. Many times, it requires us doing things outside of our comfort zone, going the extra mile, failing a lot on the way and even failing to attain one from zero. It’s a cruel process that our nature isn’t wired for. Moving from no-success to first success requires investment in perseverance, hard work, and faith. Very few are ready to make such investment.

Yet, it’s the way of life. It’s the only way to play the game of life that we find ourselves.

Think about it yourself, would rather click a like on a Tweet with 1,000 likes already or on a Tweet with 10 like? Would you rather work with someone who’s been accorded the best in an endeavor or someone who is just setting our with no track record? Would you rather follow an account with 10 followers or follow an account with 10,000 followers?

Your answer to the above question is the reason for the following assertions:

  • Getting a second job is easier than the first.
  • Raising the second round of funding is easier than the first.
  • Getting your next 10,000 customers is easier than the first 1,000
  • Selling your next 10 products is easier than selling the first.

Our goal is to doggedly focus on having the first success. Moving from zero (no success) to one (first success).

The universe is abundantly rich and has more than enough to go round for all, but it needs you to speak her language.

Her language is that of compounding. Difficult to get from no-success to first success but easier to get first success to tenth success. The universe will reward you with more success once it realizes you have your first success. And the more success you have, the more the units will reward you with. Yet, if you have none, it will not reward you with any or more.

Why does the universe work that way?

It behaves that way for varying reasons. The reason I intend to focus on here is the idea of mimetic behaviour of humans popularized by René Girard.

The mimetic theory says we get our desires from society. We want it because others have it. That creates a form of scarcity and invariably chaos.

Scarcity is the way humans interpret value.

If it’s scarce, it must be valuable. We often forget (or refuse to note) that it is only scarce in the first place because we all want the same thing.

However, that behaviour is what keeps the economic wheel rolling so there’s no ending to it. It is only important that you and I learn what’s at work behind the wheel.

Success at one thing creates that illusion of scarcity as well. Suddenly, everyone wants YOUR success or wants to be associated with YOUR success if they’ve concluded they can’t have YOUR success.

That behaviour ordinarily opens the door to you for the next success.

That’s so because those coming after you and that you also allow in your environment have a form of success (that you also want or want to be associated with if you can’t have it) in them that can be easily leveraged for your next success.

They will willingly open those doors for you because (remember) they want to be associated with you or want your success just as you theirs.

Like I said, it keeps the wheel rolling so you can’t undo it.

Understanding it though is a leverage.