Done is better than perfect!
As my friends and family will tell you, I am not a mathematician. In fact, I struggle with what some people would call “basic math” (or “maths” as we say in the UK). However, I have been able to understand and identify an equation of sorts: my equation for success.
“Success” is not easily defined, but I hope you don’t let that detract from my message. And I am by no means suggesting that I have achieved anything special (I am definitely not your guru), but it dawned on me that the achievements I am most proud of have followed the equation below.
For simplicity, let’s define “success” as an outcome you want to achieve.
What has math got to do with it?
My equation isn’t a real equation in the mathematical sense. Think of it as a metaphor for an equation. Something you can recall when you are next assessing that outcome you want. And like all self-help methods, nothing is worth knowing if it can’t form an acronym.
Faith
You gotta have faith (f-f-faith)!
I don’t necessarily mean this in the spiritual sense, but you need to believe on some level that the steps you take have a chance of equating to your success.
- This could be because you believe the world is egalitarian and that “hard/smart work pays off”.
- You may believe in God, Gods or some other higher power as part of a traditional monotheistic or polytheistic religion and that your virtues will be rewarded.
- Or perhaps you might believe in the Law of Attraction; meaning, that your thoughts will manifest into your reality.
N.B. The above list is not exhaustive!
It doesn’t really matter where your faith comes from, but it is essential to have faith to motivate you to take the next step — action.
From a mathematical perspective, if you have zero faith, then the whole equation will equal zero!
Action
You have to take action. You don’t get something for nothing! But you must also take the right kind of action. If you are trying to learn English, then spending your time speaking French is not going to help. That’s an oversimplification, but there is truth in it.
Some of the most successful people I know battle with self-sabotage (i.e. taking conscious and deliberate wrong actions). Success is scary to some people.
Procrastination is usually my biggest struggle — do I make that phone call or go to the gym?
Here’s comes the math. Like faith, if you have zero action the whole equation will equal zero. But if we consider positive action to be a positive integer and negative action to be a negative integer, this introduces the possibility that our equation will produce a positive or negative outcome.
Consistency
There are some great books on this subject. If you haven’t read the Compound Effect, Atomic Habits or Slight Edge I highly recommend them. Apparently, CEOs read 60 books a year (which is not true for me, I’ll read about 8–10) but you should read one of these. Start with the Compound Effect — it’s a quick read!
My brother taught himself to code after the age of 30, which is not easy from what he tells me. I asked him what made the biggest difference when learning something new and he told me, “writing code every day”. This seems obvious, but the key is to do something frequently and not in condensed, isolated periods. If you have ever tried to cram for an exam, then you will know the feeling!
- Your brain needs sleep to process new skills and learn information.
- People need regular contact to build trust.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day!
So what does the equation tell us? The thing about consistency is that it has an exponential effect on the outcome to which it’s applied. But, as I’ve alluded to, there is an interlinked aspect affecting the exponential amount of success consistency can deliver.
Time
Time is a strange thing. It can work for us or against us. When looked at from the point of view of consistency, time can feel full of contradictions.
- We need to spread our action out over time, but at regular intervals to be consistent.
- We need a long duration, but not so long we lose faith.
- We must be patient and trust the process.
Okay, so the last one isn’t a contradiction, but it is hard to do!
Let’s take working out as an example (because I’ve been working out consistently for about 3 months and it’s important you know about that). I could condense a month’s worth of workouts into one (very) intense day. And sure, I might see some results (as opposed to no taking any action), but I am likely to injure myself. If I want to maximise my results, then working out for an hour or so each day over a year with adequate rest days in between will give me the best chance of success. Talk to me in 9 months about what I’ve achieved with my workouts.
When looking at time as part of our equation, we are going to assume that the outcome you want to achieve is a permanent change in your life. The actions are going to become part of your lifestyle. Something you are going to commit to indefinitely. Making this assumption allows us to refer to “time” as being the length of time between each action.
Time is the divisor in the quotient. That’s complicated math speak, but let’s not overthink this — it is a metaphor after all!
The important thing to take away is that the larger the length of time between each action relative to consistency, the smaller the size of the quotient and the less exponential your success will be.
Summary
- have faith
- take action
- be consistent
- over time
Thanks for reading!
Zoe
CEO BE School
