Only 2% succeed (apparently). That’s discouraging baloney. Here’s why and what to do.

Only 2% succeed and 98% fail.

It’s a common quote. It’s also complete baloney, not to mention discouraging. At the end of this article, I hope you’ll agree and think, “I’ve never thought of it that way before.”

Let’s begin.

Everyone is effective at something. Even if it’s only putting one foot in front of the other. If that’s your intention and you do it, you’re effective.

At the same time, no one can be effective at everything.

No one can be perfect — therefore, the only way to be effective at everything you do is not to do anything. So, throughout our lives all of us will be effective and less than effective at different times. Why is that important?

Because effective is successful at producing the intended result.

Which means everyone succeeds at something and no one succeeds at everything. Which means that the 2% that you keep hearing is boloney — at what? over what timeframe? By definition it’s false because everyone in that 2% failed at something.

That’s liberating.

That means your success is defined by you. While you might not succeed at everything you want, neither can anyone. And whether you succeed at this particular endeavour is neither here nor there.

Here’s hoping you think about success a little differently.