Success is Boring

Written by Azat MardanNovember 24, 2015

Success is what we crave. Parents, peers and culture pushes success down our throats as it’s the best thing ever. Yet not many people claim success in their lives. They jump from one hot opportunity to another.

One day they are building SaaS, the next month consulting, and then selling cheap privately labeled and growth-hacked shit on Amazon.com. It’s like an addiction. Starting a business is easy. Starting micro businesses like SaaS, info product or private label is extremely easier than managing brick and mortar. Entrepreneur become parallel entrepreneur. They juggle multiple things. Each is moderately successful, but nothing great… why? Because success is boring.

Some people like the thrill more than success. Like many thrill seekers they deny this fact. They sabotage their success. They are like gamblers who hit the slot machines and frustrated by the interrupted flow of their trance when they actually do win. The adrenaline junkies, those people love to start new venture and see them succeed from 0 to 60, but they never stay long enough to see any really great fruits.

Some people like the inviting adventure of new projects more than the steady long-term progress of established ones. If you need some serendipity, then go pick up a new sport (surfing, rock climbing, Krav Maga) or learn how to ride a motorcycle, but don’t bet your career on a risky proposition.

I wrote this post mostly for myself to stay focused and as a reminder that real success is boring. Find the thing you’re great at and which is in demand and valued by others. Then, you stick with it unless you fully get its potential. It might be 5, 10 or 15 years. Give it a time. Everything great takes time; otherwise we won’t treasure it much. Boring is good. You have my permission to be boring… and achieve the success you want be it personal life, health or business.