Why Goals Are for Losers, How to Generate Luck and to be Promoted for Being Unqualified

Written by Azat MardanMarch 04, 2017

Last week, I finished reading Scott Adam’s How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life. Scott is the creator of the Dilbert cartoon series. He is also a hypnotist and a master of the mindset. I highly recommend his book. Here are the three nuggets:

Goals are for losers. Use routines instead. Routines will make you have progress without constantly focusing on how far your goal is. So keep your goals but don’t obsess over them being too far. Instead build routines and system to make progress towards your goals daily or at least weekly.

Luck can be generated. It’s a product of your skills. The more relevant skills you have, the better. Learning skills like public speaking, hypnosis, writing, programming, or second language (or third like I am doing right now) - all will increase your chances and luck.

Promotion could be given for being unqualified. This is how Scott was promoted in not one but two big companies. His job wasn’t what he was supposed to do but finding and interviewing for the next job. Think about it. Interviewing and day job are often two very separate things and skill sets. This is very true in tech and IT field! My own experience of frustration over tech interviewing is described in I will puke if I hear array search interview question again.

Scott has many other gems in his book. He is also funny, but not too funny since the book is actually on a serious topic of success, career and the proper mindset. Get your own copy and read it!