The Missing Piece of Success: Finding Your Passion and Purpose

Success is like a puzzle with many pieces, each of one coming from different places, some of which are hard work, talent, and good timing. Genius people, like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, have certainly put in the hours to master their craft, but that’s not the only thing making them successful.

The 10,000 hours rule, which was popularised by the book “Outliners” by Malcolm Gladwell, suggests that it takes around 10,000 hours practice to become an expert in their field.

While this may be true for some, it’s not a hard and fast rule. Some geniuses have been known to achieve mastery in a shorter time, while others may have taken longer. It’s not the number of hours that matter, but how you focus on those hours with devotedly.

The Marshmallow Test is another example, a psychological study that measures the ability of children to delay gratification.

While the ability to delay gratification can be an important trait for success, it’s not the only factor that determines success.

An example of this is the recent Pixar film “Soul” which follows the story of a middle-aged musician who discovers his true passion for jazz music and how it leads to his ultimate success, despite the challenges he faces. The film illustrates how finding one’s true passion and working hard towards it can lead to success, rather than just focusing on career and money.

It’s important to note that success is not only about achieving a certain level of expertise, but it’s also about having the right opportunities and being at the right place at the right time. Luck plays a big role in success, like how you can find a puzzle piece that you’ve been searching for in the last place that you expect to find.

In conclusion, success is not just about putting in the hours or being able to resist a marshmallow. It’s a combination of many factors, including hard work, talent, opportunities and a little bit of luck. Remember that success is like a puzzle, you can’t put it together without all the pieces and sometimes you might have to wait for the missing piece to appear.