Figuring out what you’re good at and how you’re good at it is the key to being successful at it. If you want to do well for yourself and be the best you possible, you are going to want to learn how you can most effectively contribute to society, while continuing to maintain a standard of living that you can tolerate. Some people are built for hard work and lots of physical exertion. Others aren’t. Some people are good at writing. Other people are better at math. Some people are attractive. Others have great voices that work well on radio shows and podcasts. There are many different talents in this world, and as a result there are lots of talented people. Creating a good life, in my opinion, is a mix of balancing talent with personal finances.
How good do you have to be in order to be successful?
This is the determining factor when it comes to whether or not you should pursue an activity. You want to do stuff that has a reasonably high success rate. High paid, white-collar activities like writing, computer programming, and content creation are pretty good. You can also do blue collar work, things that other people either can’t or won’t do, like plumbing or electrical work. Preferably, you want to do something that you can innovate or start your own business in. You want the field to have earning potential.
Some fields have a lot of earning potential. This means that you don’t have to be very skilled. If you want to be a software engineer, you don’t need to be that good at your job in order to earn an income. Other fields are really tricky. Even if you’re good at making music, you’re unlikely to make a living from streaming. 80% of Spotify artists are pulling in less than 50 monthly listeners. If you’re going to going into that field, you’d better be in the top 5%, preferably in the top 1%. More on this later.
How good are you?
As I stated earlier, some skills are monetizable at a relatively low level. You only need to be a decent (and honest) accountant to make a living. If numbers are your interest, there’s probably no harm in majoring in math. Opportunities in the tech industry are highly likely to open up to you. Find the field that you’re passionate about and see how well it pays. If it pays, you can probably jump in. The odds that you suck are low. If it’s a high paying field, your degree, certifications, or experience are likely to pay massive dividends in the long run regardless of your skill level.
Are you in the top 1%?
If you’re in the top 1%, you can give it a shot, whatever it is. Just come up with a monetization plan before hand and try your hand at some other skills. You’re going to want to have a plan B, even if you’re excellent. Being in the top 1% is different. Stuff that people say is impossible should be doable. It should feel dumbfoundingly easy. If you or your child is beating everyone in your school at soccer, outrunning them with ease and shooting the ball from the halfway line, you might be in the one percent. If when you find competing at a high level easy, you’re probably in the top 1%. This is the sort of thing that I’m talking about.
Make sure that you’re certain that you’re in the top 1%. Figure out how long it takes a normal person to get good at your skill. Know how long it takes for you to pick things up. See if you learn faster than what’s normal. If you do, you might be on the money.
Knowing what you’re good at is probably the most important thing you can do to be successful. If you know what you’re doing, you’re going to be finding yourself blazing ahead of the competition, and enjoying a lot of praise and accolades. If you don’t, you’re going to be in a world of hurt. Everything is going to feel difficult, and you won’t find yourself winning any more than the average man. This means it might take you decades to reach the “top” of your field, if you do at all. Following your passion is important. It’s better to make “little money” following your passion than it is to make “big money” doing something you hate. But don’t follow your passion at the expense of making good use of your skills. You’ll most likely regret it, given my experience in the workforce.
Thanks for paying attention.
