Why Successful People Sometimes Fail

After 7 years and 500 interviews of successful people Richard St. John came up with a list of 8 secrets to success. In this Ted presentation Richard points out that success is not a step by step process but a continuous journey. The problem is that when we get to the top of a process we think we have made it. We get too comfortable with success and the money – this sets us to fall back down the hill to failure. Richard draws from his own business failure – he was serving himself rather than his true passion of serving his customers.

What leads to success?

Success is a journey – a continuous process, not a step by step process.

Here are the big 8 principles that Richard identified from his research.

Passion

Do it for love, not for the money – the money will follow.

Work

It’s a lot of work, nothing comes easily – but work can be fun.

Good

Get good at something. Practice, practice and practice.

Focus

Focus on one thing.

Push

Push through shyness and self-doubt.

Serve

It is a privilege to serve and offer something of value. That’s the way to get really rich.

Ideas

Listen, observe, be curious, ask questions, make connections and solve problems.

Persist

Persist through failure, criticism, pressure and rejection.

I think it is worth writing these 8 principles out on a blackboard to remind ourselves of them daily. Focus on being good and mastering one thing at a time with hard work. It should involve serving others with passion and fresh ideas for solving their problems – the money will follow. With passion on your side you can push through any obstacle with the power of persistence.