Very little in life is as fulfilling as achieving success along a specific dimension you set out to conquer . But the flip side is that this is also one of the most challenging things.
Defining Success Is Only Half the Battle
For example, let’s say you set out to grow your business.
Growing a business in and of itself is challenging. Choosing to define that as a goal is only a fraction of the battle. Defining how much growth, and along what metrics will move you ever so slightly closer, as well.
But what makes this infinitely more difficult is figuring out the required levers to pull in order to actually achieve the desired growth.
Chances are even if you hit your desired growth target the metrics you defined probably didn’t line up perfectly the way you thought they should in order to succeed.
Nebulous Success & Happy “Accidents”
To some degree, success along any dimension you specify will always be somewhat nebulous.
Not because it’s impossible to figure out what currently known activities may lead to your success. But because it’s entirely impossible to predict all possible contributors to your success that are currently unknown.
These “unknown contributors” will feel like happy accidents when they happen. But they rarely happen through inertia alone.
In fact, they often seem to spring forth only after, and as a direct byproduct of, exhaustive effort toward a goal. Even when those happy accidents seem to appear entirely out of the blue, independent of your efforts.
Which only increases the level of satisfaction when you begin to experience initial success.
The Combined Power of Labor + Intellect
When happy accidents begin to occur, it can feel like the universe is participating in a grand conspiracy on your behalf.
And the truly beautiful thing about this is remembering that it’s not actually random. But the byproduct of your deliberate progress toward a definite aim.
When you set your sights on a specific target, and do everything in your power to advance toward it, you can be confident that your success is not accidental at all. But through your own agency – the combined power of your labor and intellect to shape the world into your vision for it.