Books like The Da Vinci Curse by Leonardo Lospennato neatly encapsulate a problem of our time:that anyone who strives to be a universal genius will inevitably fail.
Because today, unlike Da Vinci
times, there is so much competition in all fields that only people who are dedicated to
one subject succeed. Anyone who wants to become a professional traveler, "Father of the Year",
star violinist, globetrotter and art connoisseur all at once should either rethink their priorities or feel
satisfied to be incredibly mediocre in each of these areas. After all, it's rare for a genius to be
all-rounder.
The Secret Trick:Lots of Practice and More Mistakes
Presumed geniuses like Mozart, Goethe and Picasso are not world famous for their unique innate
gifts:they were simply lucky enough to be born with a certain talent which they could then
cultivate with lots of hard work and dedication.
Anyone who wants to emulate a genius should take note of the fact that neither Mozart nor Einstein
changed professions every two years. One of the reasons Steve Jobs was so successful was that he
put all his energy into one thing - and sacrificed his chance to win "Father of
The Year". ". That's not to say that this path doesn't have potholes, traffic, and detours, but rather that
only people who experiment without fear of failure and accept that they can learn from it are bound to produce great things.
Napoleon and the light bulb:becoming rich by thinking?
More than 100 years ago, Napoleon Hill wondered if the success of exceptional personalities could
be explained by a formula. Did they all use the same toothpaste? Did they all follow the same journey
priest? Hill's answer, which he used as the basis for his book Think and Grow Rich, was far more
rudimentary:for him, success and wealth were the consequence of a clear goal and a
desire to achieve it. And so we can reinforce what we already knew about Mozart, Einstein and Jobs:
they all worked hard and were willing to accept mistakes and failures.
But all of this begs a new question:If the path to success is so obvious, why are so few people taking it?
Keeping all your options open is the path to mediocrity
Dan Ariely's book, Predictably Irrational, basically explains why we humans use our gift of thinking and decision-making so rarely. Or, to give a concrete example, why we promise ourselves
we'll stop eating candy to look good in bathing suits, but as soon as we fill up our groceries
carts with fruit and vegetables at the supermarket, we always break down and throw a chocolate bar on our
way to the cash register. Or why, once we have achieved our dream of having a Porsche, we want a
Ferrari. Or, finally, why we postpone decision-making and keep all other options open in the meantime,
even if it means going down the path of mediocrity or, worse, a state of constant dissatisfaction.
Which, in turn, begs the question of how to resolve this dilemma. While countless books have an
answer to this question, for now we'd like to focus on a classic and a recent bestseller.
Efficiency vs Effectiveness:A Small But Subtle Difference
Stephen R. Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is a classic in gender consulting and productivity. Like Napoleon Hill, Covey investigated what makes people who have achieved extraordinary
achievements different from others. The book draws on mantras such as 'first thing is first' and 'sharpen
the saw' - that is, it encourages readers to prioritize and maintain in balance. He argues that, in order
to have enough time to do this, you need to understand the difference between efficiency and
efficiency:
That's why answering these (admittedly somewhat morbid) questions shouldn't be too difficult for
anyone who wants to put Leo Babauta's The Power of Less into practice.
Productive minimalism, or:why less is more
In just a few short years, Babauta has become a guru of productive minimalism. Babauta – once unhappy,
overweight, chain smoking “Jack of all trade, master of none” – is now a living paradigm of minimalism,
practicing yoga, eating healthy, writing and spending time with his family. His success speaks for itself,
and happiness seems to literally spring from him. His advice seems as simple as it is plausible:
In summary, we recognize that people can only be truly geniuses or successful if they work hard
and consciously choose certain options over others. Deviating from the paths of mediocrity and taking
drastic action is worth it, as Ariely describes in his book Predictably Irrational:
Think about it, have you ever made such a bold all-or-nothing decision or know someone who
has? If so, we'd love to hear about it in the comments. Your story could inspire someone else to take
action!
