Why Smart People Don’t Prosper
FOR a long time, I believed that if smart people worked hard and grew up in a good environment, they would wind up becoming very successful in life. But as I grew older, I realised that that isn’t necessarily true.
Some people I know to be intelligent and with a strong work ethic have accomplished notable achievements, while many others are doing fine. Sadly, there are some that are crawling along, unsure about what to do. I then realised there are certain factors essential to success and prosperity. Though being smart is linked to having a fulfilling career, having successful marriages or staying healthy, success is more than being smart or working hard.
Here are some reasons why you might not be finding success if even you are smart and hardworking.
One, you don’t reach out to new people. It is easy to stick to old friends and acquaintances, but you need new helpers to win.
The problem with old friends is that they circulate the same ideas over and over again, stopping you from learning new perspectives outside your bubble.
The solution is for you to start meeting new people, such as introducing yourself to one new person a week. You either sleep with your dream or you pursue it. You will never influence the world by trying to be like the world.
Two, you are stagnant because you are averse to change. Living in the same environment for a long time makes it hard for you to adapt to something new. Change presents new opportunities and innovation. Be open to new concepts and curious about the world around you.
Three, you are not willing to take risks. Smart people are frequently insular; they often choose the safe route. They often choose a career because it is considered acceptable by their peers.
Consider what your life would be decades now before rejecting the idea of branching into unfamiliar territory.
Four, you believe you deserve success based on your credentials. Lives of great people have shown that success isn’t in the custody of intelligence. The marketplace has its own rules.
Abandon your entitlement mentality. Success isn’t measured by how intelligent you are or where you went to school. Never expect things to pan out automatically because of your credentials.
None of Bill Gates of Microsoft, Henry Ford of the Ford motors, Thomas Edison of light bulb fame, Steve Jobs of Apple holds a university degree. In the real world, you get results based on hardwork, strategic thinking and good luck. You increase your luck by working and thinking smart.
Five, you are guided by momentary excitements. One thing I hear from high achievers is that they hate wasting time. Thus, focusing on one goal yields better results in the long run than chasing many goals simultaneously.
Six, you cannot commit to a decision. Being a smart workaholic opens many doors, but you must acquire the knack of making good choices. Rather than dabbling into many endeavours, testing things out by talking to experienced people and experts is better.
Finally, smart people often end up as mediocre people because they don’t believe in themselves.
It is surprising that smart people do often underestimate their own abilities. They are their own worse critics, causing them to believe they cannot accomplish as much as they can.
Smart people have high standards when it comes to their work. This seems a good thing on the surface, but this is more debilitating than helpful. Perfectionism hinders people from progressing forward in the fulfillment of their goals. Getting started beats waiting for anything to happen anytime.
You must love yourself first before you can love others. Always view your problem from multiple perspectives. Remember that genius is finding a perspective no one else has taken.