The Secret of Success, Demystified

When asked as to what has helped them achieve success,  successful people may come out with various answers. But when asked this question, Dan Kennedy replied, “I get asked this question a lot… and my answer disappoints most people…

“I do not like answering the question because any answer is a lie by omission. But, if I must, the answer is NOT the collection of more and more information (although that’s useful and a behavior held in common by exceptionally successful entrepreneurs) — it is implementation."

He hastens to clarify, “But even this is complex. Action andimplementation are not synonymous, anymore than activity and accomplishment are… everyone is active. To implement means: to put a decision, plan, strategy, etc. into effect. That means there is action tied to strategic purpose, and there is something DONE… Put into effect.

“Implementation is the conversion of inspiration, idea, and already known + gathered information into accomplishment.” In short, Dan Kennedy has hit the nail on its head by emphatically asserting that if you want to achieve success, you must implement the things you learn. 

If you look around, you will come across several successful people but they may not be super-intelligent or super-smart. This means you need not be super-intelligent or very smart for achieving success. You may say that this is a politically incorrect statement but this is a fact.

You may also come across several super-intelligent and smart folks but they may not be successful. The problem with these so-called smart and intelligent people is they over-think about everything. They keep on collecting information or knowledge. But they never begin the implementation process. This means all the information they collect and all their knowledge are just a waste. 

Let us look at the example of Steve Jobs, one of the most successful entrepreneurs the world has seen. He always remained focused on adding value to his products. Though you may say that Steve Jobs achieved success because he was a good salesman, the key ingredient that brought him stupendous success was his focus on adding value to his products. He ensured that the value of the iPod he offered was more than that of the Zune and that of his MacBook was more than that of his PC. In other words, he never remained a lazy dreamer. He implemented his ideas and brought out one product after another. 

So, the one thing that can fetch you success is "implementation." But you cannot assume that once you implement your ideas or the knowledge you have acquired, you will immediately get rich. It may take time and sometimes, it may take longer than you expect. 

Sometimes, you may lose all your money also during this implementation phase. As a famous teacher once told, “For months you’ll go home from work, eat a sandwich, pet your kid on the head and then go sit in front of the computer till your eyes burn out, and then one day you’ll get it and you’ll make $10. And you’ll feel awesome.”

This means during that phase, implementation may give you only sweat equity but remember that it is worth it. That is why you are advised to be patient. At the same time, you must take consistent and purposeful action.

So, stop telling that you intend to this thing or that thing and start implementing your ideas or whatever you have learned. As Dan Kennedy aptly puts it, “If we followed a rich person around all day, we’d eventually say, no wonder he’s successful, look at EVERYTHING he does.” So, the take away is: START IMPLEMENTING.