When we think about success we not only think about success itself but also the performance that leads to it. Performance is about how well you do something but success is about whether the people around you acknowledge and reward your performance. So the more positively others react to your performance the more successful you are. While performance certainly matters, research has proven that there is no absolute link between how well you do something and how successful you are.
The issue with linking performance to success is that firstly performance is bounded meaning that there is a limit on how well you can do something and the difference in performance among the most successful individuals in any field is often very insignificant and almost indistinguishable. Secondly, judging performance has proven to be biased when comparing the performance of top players and are subject to many irrelevant things including whether you are the first to be judged or the last.
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Success on the other hand is not necessarily about the objective value of what you do but how your network reacts to it and since we are living in a world with billions of people it means that unlike performance, success is unbounded and limitless. Also it has been observed yet and again that success leads to more success and getting acknowledged for your performance by a few people can actually make room for more people to acknowledge your performance even if your performance is not necessarily that good! This crowd effect is due to human nature in that people tend to align in opinion with the majority when the criteria are more subjective be it the success of a music track, an internet personality, or a stock, having said all of that, quality matters and when combined with previous success it does predict future success.
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Ultimately success is amplified by time but getting older won’t insure more success, rather, getting older only contributes to more success only if you keep pursuing your goals with the same zest and enthusiasm as people in their 20’s and early 30’s. The people who don’t slow down with age actually will accumulate more success than their younger counterparts.
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Dan’s Action Plans:
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Focusing only on developing your skill or abilities or simply working harder won’t insure your success because success is not a solo affair but a social one. This means that to be successful you need to develop your social skill with a focus on self-promotion, salesmanship, as well as a touch of showmanship to be able to get more people to take notice of your performance and reward you for it.
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If you are introverted or shy you cannot attain much success unless you develop your social skills and start building relationships and alliances, not to mention putting yourself in the spotlight for others to see.
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So long as you don’t slow down with age and remain motivated by continuing to set bigger goals your success will only be amplified through time and aging. This means that success has no age limit and for as long as you remain productive you will become successful.
Daniel Molgan Official 