Big breaks

Often I feel like if i just find the right opportunity, if i’m just in the right place or just know the right people it will all lead to my big break.

The myth

Yes, big breaks exist, but they are not what we expect them to be – a work of magic and wonder, the planets aligning for us so that we can be “lucky” and shine.

Finding the “right” next job, creating a successful company in the right market, getting a speaking opportunity or recognition for your work and efforts. All of those can seem as sudden breakthroughs but the reality is that none of them is random or just lucky.

People who get to breakthroughs do not focus on the breakthroughs, because they know that’s not how things work.

Work hard, work smart

The reality is that those people that succeed focus on creating the best they can within their fields. They focus on adding value to the rest of society and the world. This is not a simple, one day, 2 min process, they work for it all their lives.

The people we see getting the big breaks have often spent more than 3-5-10 years working on developing their skills, themselves, so that they can be masters at what they do and so that they have “read their books“.

Notice something important? They don’t just work hard, they work smart as well. They identify where their effort will make the most impact or they simply start by following a passion. The hard work is not random and is completely different from just keeping themselves busy.

The people that get the big breaks work hard, but they also stop to evaluate where they have come to, if what they are doing still makes sense. They are ready to accept that they have gone too far, that maybe they need to completely change the direction and would still start working with the same zeal.

Summary

Big breaks exist, but they are the result of a lot of hard work and a lot of time and passion spent. They don’t occur over the course of a few days or weeks, but are the culmination of years of dedication, passion and showing up.

Even if you work hard though, it doesn’t mean it will lead to a big break, because you also need to work smart. Evaluate constantly if your energy is going toward creating your best, toward adding value and solving big problems. Be ready to completely change direction and know that that is ok, because we don’t live in a static world.

P.S.: This article was inspired by: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/11/your-big-break.html

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