Success Leaves Clues... But Never a Blueprint

[Drago Stanimirovic]

I've always found it interesting that successful people love giving advice. And we love asking for it.

But after years of listening to entrepreneurs, investors, athletes, musicians... I've noticed something.

Their advice usually falls into one of two categories. The first is common sense. "Work hard." "Be honest." "Show up on time." "Treat people well." 

None of it is wrong. Most of it is obvious.

The second category is much stranger. "Wake up at 4:30 every morning." "Never check your email before noon." "Meditate for exactly twenty minutes." "Take cold showers." "Eat this, don't eat that." It almost starts sounding like superstition.

Which made me wonder... If success could really be reduced to a routine, why doesn't everyone who follows it become successful?

Think about professional sports. LeBron James doesn't train alone. He's surrounded by elite athletes every. Single. Day.

They work with the same coaches. They follow similar training programs. They have access to the same facilities, nutrition, medical staff, and technology.

Yet when the game starts, one of them is LeBron James. The others are not.

Real estate feels the same way sometimes.

I've met investors who seem to have an instinct you can't quite explain. They notice something everyone else overlooked. They stay calm when everyone else is panicking. They know when to walk away from a deal... and when to lean in.

Can they explain why? Sometimes. More often than not - no. 

Can someone else copy it? I'm not so sure. If success came with a formula, we'd all be using it.

Maybe that's why I listen to successful people a little differently these days. I don't look for instructions. I look for... clues. Because clues make you think. Blueprints make you stop thinking.

(What's the best piece of advice you've ever received... and do you think it actually made the difference, or did it simply confirm what you already knew?)