Talent, Hard Work, Patience, Persistence, Luck, and Wisdom

Talent

…is the cost of entry, but not the determining factor of success. It’s why comparing yourself to others makes no sense. Talent matters. But there will always be someone more talented than you. You can improve with practice and study, but only to the limit you’re already predisposed.

Hard Work

… on the other hand is within our control. Lesser talent plus hard work trumps pure talent every time. We all have the same hours in the day and should use more of them to go after the outcomes we want.

Patience

… is knowing that working hard for 6 months is a drop in the bucket. It’s about giving up short term pleasures, money, fun for long term results. It’s about lifetime value and diligently filling your bucket drop by drop.

Persistence

…is a cousin to patience. Persistence is showing up over, and over, and over, and over. It’s about starting something that might not work, learning, adapting, and repeating this process longer than your competitors. It’s about leaning in when it’s difficult.

Luck

… is really just opportunity. The more you show up, the luckier you are. The act of persistence exposes you to more and more opportunity over time. If your work is truly good (the market is the judge – not you, by the way), persistence produces “luck”.

Wisdom

… is not lying to yourself. It’s knowing where your talents lie and where they do not. It’s about being honest with yourself about what sacrifices you’re willing to make to achieve what you want.