Decrypting a powerful open secret to success

The following discourse is focused on analyzing and to an extent “decrypting” one of the most compelling and exquisite lines I have EVER come across. If you haven’t come across the line already, you will be amazed by its elegance and if you have seen it before, I am sure you can attest to how wonderfully succinct it is. As the title suggests, I’d describe it as an open secret to success, and I first came across it in Stephen Covey’s “The 7 habits of highly effective people.”

I’d highly recommend reading the entire essay (you can find it here) because of the way Mr. Gray sets the stage and puts things in perspective. Nevertheless, this post will focus on a single central line the essay tries to convey.

The common denominator of success

Before I proceed, I should warn those who are expecting a never heard before magic mantra for success. Because the following isn’t something you don’t already know. It is, however, an elegant, filtered and wonderful reminder. I do not want to paraphrase the line itself, therefore, here is a short excerpt from the essay –

“The common denominator of success – the secret of success of every man who has ever been successful – lies in the fact that he formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do.
It’s just as true as it sounds and it’s just as simple as it seems. You can hold it up to the light, you can put it to the acid test, and you can kick it around until it’s worn out, but when you are all through with it, it will still be the common denominator of success, whether you like it or not.” – E.M. Gray.

Key observations

The complexity of this, if any, lies in its subtlety. There are two key things to focus on –

1. The usage of the word “habit”. Notice how Gray didn’t say “the successful person does the things failures don’t like to do.” He purposefully included the word habit knowing very well that there is only one way to form habits – conscious repetition. And this is not necessarily easy. In fact, it’s almost always challenging. As Mr. Covey describes it, “Successful people don’t like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.”
2. The usage of the phrase “don’t like to do.” There is a huge difference between “don’t like to do” and “cannot do.” In the real world, it is not that the things ‘failures’ don’t do are ones they are incapable of doing. Surprisingly often, these are things they can do but don’t feel like doing. Things like staying organized, taking initiative, hustling, exercising, you get the picture. Needless to say, there are many more things that can be added to this list.

Conclusion

TLDR – the open secret to success revolves around forming habits, no matter how tedious at first, to do things you know you should do but don’t ‘like‘ to do. And habits, as research has shown, can be changed and morphed to suit your needs. Though they may be annoying and “soul-destroying” at first, once your body and mind internalize them, they work wonders with minimal conscious effort.

All said and done, it is imperative to note that no one is a success or a failure always. As someone I know described it once, success has no full stops, it only has commas. i.e. No one is eternally successful, success is a process of constant learning and rejuvenation. As you sow, so shall you reap.

Until next time, The Taciturn.