How To Succeed When You Aren’t The Best At Anything
What if you are just average at things, can you still succeed?
YES!
The hidden key to success is why the secret sauce tastes so good.
Have you ever heard that only the best people are able to succeed, leaving the rest of us to pick up their scraps if we are lucky? That since we aren’t the best looking, have the highest intelligence, or the most charming that we are destined to be stuck in the middle of the pack at best? After hearing this for a while I can understand how it could start to make sense, how could you succeed over someone who IS better?
There is only one person who is ‘the best’ of something in the world. There is only one person in your business field who is ‘the best’ at it. That is what being the best means, there is no one greater. I’ve heard people say to find your strength and work at making it even stronger and you will find success. I think someone who is the best at any one skill is hidden away working for someone who has combined many skills, none which are 'the best', to increase their own success.
Who is the best computer programmer in the world? I don’t think it is Larry Page or Sergey Brin the co-founders of google, they are good for sure, but there is a high probability that this person is working for them now. They added other skills to achieve success, like engineering, communication, business, and management.
Many people who are successful aren’t the best at anything, but they have combined their good enough skills into a really effective secret sauce.
Like a restaurant that takes a normal burger patty but adds to it their special sauce recipe which makes it a wildly successful hit! ½ cup mayo, ¼ cup ketchup, ½ cup relish, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of pepper makes for a rather tasty combination (try it!)– but each ingredient is something most of us have at home. Successful people have just found a great combination of normal flavors!
We can do the same in our own lives. Combine your talents until you find a combo that works. A cup of confidence, 1/2 cup of management skill, 1/2 cup of interpersonal communication, 1/4 cup of logical reasoning, and a teaspoon of spotting trends could be the secret sauce on top of your main 'burger.' It could make everyone want what you got!
Bill Murray isn’t the world’s greatest comedian or actor. But he has combined these talents together and created a clever public personality that has made many ardent fans pay to see his performances. If he just focused on his personal best asset, being a comedian, he might just be a forgotten member of the stand-up circuit or a behind the scenes script writer.
Walt Disney wasn’t the best animator or creative artist in the world, but he was good enough and was quick to add the latest film technology and merchandise marketing to his works to give him an edge over the hundreds of other animators that just focused on their art.
Donald Trump isn't the smartest person in the world (by far), or the best businessman, or the best pubic speaker even - yet he took all of his abilities and created a secret sauce that he used to win the presidential election.
You will always hear about how someone started with nothing and became the success they are today. You often also hear about a large amount of failures along the way, they were just combining their different skillsets to see what worked. Sometimes they picked the wrong combination and had to come up with a totally new combo. Sometimes they felt they were pretty close, and slightly tweaked their mix until it became just right.
Richard Branson might have just been a record salesman instead of a business magnate if he only stuck with his best skill of sales, but he added drive, negotiation, charisma, management, and vision to create his multibillion dollar business empire.
If you feel like you are stuck, try mixing and matching your skills – or learn a new one! If you see a recipe for success you like, but don’t have an ingredient don’t be afraid to substitute another in its place – that’s how you discover something that has never been done before. It can make your sauce taste horrible too, but at least you learned what DOESN'T work. Try another mix!
The ingredients are everywhere, being the one to put them together into a delicious secret sauce is a rare treat that will make your personal dish sought after.
The secret secret ingredient? Just like mom’s home cooking, the best sauces are made with love. You must love what you’re doing.
Pictures: 1 2
My moment of honesty:
- My interests vary but I strive for quality work, check my blog for proof.
- I will not fill up your feed with crap, I have only resteemed thrice.
- I will also reply to all your comments if they warrant any reply.
- These things I promise to you. So follow me, or don't. I want you to do what you want to.
@getonthetrain
Excellent post! This is precisely what I've done in my line of work. I started off painting, then learned drywall, followed by framing, roofing, plumbing, etc.. Although I don't have my own house flipping TV show, it is only because my vocation is not my advocation.
You're kicking ass man, practical skills are a dying thing but the best ones to me. Being able to do work around your home is good, but you are way above that level. Great stuff, lots of success in your future in 2017!
What if you suck at everything except sleeping and watching porn?
lol, you might have to add another skill or two. Learn a little analyzing(giggity) and writing and become a porn critic. pornographycritic.com is available. Guide people to the best so they can more efficiently fap.
A jack of all trades or a specialist in a certain field of expertise? That is the question, my friend! :)
How did you answer that question @ezzy? :p
It is interesting what difference an in-person view does. I saw Trump on the campaign mode, and he had an instinctive ability to anticipate and lead the crowd; I expect there is some mob psychology that goes into this, but watching a speaker on TV and in person is truly different!
You are right in urging us to keep looking for what works; maybe even if we don't succeed, at least we will have led a worthy life.
I never did go to any of his events. I just would think that the majority there are of similar thought, so to speak what they want to hear is easier. Much harder to have a diverse crowd captivated by what you are saying.
good point - much easier to cater to the crowd when it is fairly united to begin with
Hi @getonthetrain, I just stopped back to let you know your post was one of my favourite reads yesterday and I included it in my Steemit Ramble. You can read what I wrote about your post here.
oh wow @shadowspub, thanks!
Being the best does not make you happy. Being yourself makes you someone creative and happy.
https://steemit.com/business/@chrisaiki/2017-steemit-collaborative-business-step1-brainstorm
Happiness is different for each of us, but being yourself is certainly along that path.
This post has been ranked within the top 10 most undervalued posts in the second half of Dec 31. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $23.02 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Dec 31 - Part II. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply reply "Stop" to this comment.