This past week I came across an incredibly rich, powerful, yet simple essay called The Common Denominator of Success by Albert Gray. Instead of paraphrasing key segments, I felt it would be most impactful to simply cut and paste the most meaningful content. I have focused on the first portion of the essay which answers:. why one struggles to succeed and what can be done to change the course and direction of his or her life:
“The common denominator of success—the secret of success of every person who has ever been successful—lies in the fact that “THEY FORMED THE HABIT OF DOING THINGS THAT FAILURES DON’T LIKE TO DO.”
The things that “failures” don’t like to do are the things that you and I and other human beings, including successful people, naturally don’t like to do. In other words, we’ve got to realize right from the start that success is something, which is achieved by the minority of people … and is therefore “unnatural” and not to be achieved by following our natural likes and dislikes nor by being guided by our natural preferences and prejudices.
Perhaps you have wondered why it is that those who accomplish most seem to like to do the things that you don’t like to do. They don’t! And I think this is the most important and encouraging statement I have ever offered any person. But if they don’t like to do these things, then why do they do them?
Because by doing the things they don’t like to do, they can accomplish the things they want to accomplish. Now let me repeat that: Successful people are influenced by the desire for pleasing results. Failures are influenced by the desire for pleasing methods and are inclined to be satisfied with such results as can be obtained by doing things they like to do.
Why are successful people able to do things they don’t like to do while failures are not? Because successful people have a purpose—strong enough to make them form the habit of doing things they don’t like to do in order to accomplish the purpose they want to accomplish.
Many people with whom I have discussed this common denominator of success have said at this point, “But, I have a family to support and I have to have a living for my family and myself. Isn’t that enough of a purpose?” No, it isn’t. It isn’t a sufficiently strong purpose to make you form the habit of doing the things that you don’t like to do for the very simple reason that it is easier to adjust ourselves to the hardships of a poor living than it is to adjust ourselves to the hardships of making a better one. If you doubt me, just think of all the things you are willing to go without in order to avoid doing the things you don’t like to do. All of which seems to prove that the strength that holds you to your purpose is not your own strength but the strength of the purpose itself.”
To get a more comprehensive perspective on why success occurs I encourage all to read the entire essay. This first half provides understanding as to why we do what we do. Once this is identified we can then evaluate if we are willing to do what successful people do. This decision and follow through is where the rubber meets the road.
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