Having listened to and read thousands of hours of success materials and studying successful people, I have come up with success in a nutshell. This is the most boiled down model I can think of for greatness. This is what I feel are the most fundamental elements that create the greatest level of achievement.
O.K. Here is the Formula...
pq x e = sr
The formula stands for Plan Quality multiplied by Effort equals Success Rate.
To be successful you need BOTH a great plan and great effort. You cannot have one without the other. You can have the greatest plan conceived by the best strategic thinkers on the planet, but if you do not put forth any effort, you will have weak results. Also, if you put forth a Herculean effort (working 12 hours per day) but have a bad plan you will still have poor results.
So the lessons here are keep working on and improving your plan and keep measuring your performance and managing your time. Of course, there are thousands of ways to break down and talk about success but I believe understanding and thinking about the fundamentals is key.
I will make a disclaimer that supreme effort can sometimes override plan quality. If you are really putting forth an incredible effort and making great progress, sometimes you can accidentally stumble on great things. Like the man who got some sap from a tree and became super-rich creating a sun-tan lotion empire. He didn't really have a plan, but just by trying something he came across riches beyond imagination.
Disclaimer aside, I still say give yourself the best chance of success and go with a great plan AND a great effort!
The main problem with effort with no plan is you may end up spinning in circles and going nowhere. With all that wasted energy you will get yourself burned out and frustrated very quickly. And, of course, a great plan with no effort is just dreaming. You will never build a solid foundation under your dreams without work!
A good way to think of this is the "road trip" analogy. The "plan" is your vehicle and the "effort" is your acceleration. You desire a sound running vehicle and the gas in the tank to get where you want to go.
So how do you know if your plan and effort are enough? Keep measuring your progress. Are you hitting key milestones, like mileage signs along the highway? And keep managing your time. Can you increase the amount of time you spend on your project? Can you leverage and hire someone to help to get you to your goal faster? Are you improving as time goes on, or are you stagnating in your results.
Let me know what you think and drop me some comments or questions.
Great success,
Kevin Bennett
