The Difference Between Successful People and Mediocre People

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” – Vince Lombardi

I find this quote to be true. There are different ways in which success shows up in a person’s life. It could be owning a nice home, raising two beautiful loving children, or progressing in one’s career. But either way, a lack of will can get in the way and crush a person’s success by derailing their efforts.

How does one build up willpower to crush and conquer life? For one, you may have to change your environment. Most people’s environments do not set them up for success and in fact can hinder their progress. For example, if you live with people who settle for comfort and who dissuade you from focusing on what success means to you, then you will have negative thoughts come into your mind that will inevitably hinder your growth. The same happens when you live in a chaotic environment (clutter or living in poverty-stricken areas). So the first step in building up more willpower is to first examine your environment and see if there is anything you can do to change it and foster a growth-oriented mindset.

You may also benefit from associating with people who achieved the level of success that you so wish to attain. You could join local Meetups. Or, you can start one of your own. Surrounding yourself with the people who live in the successful type of mindset increases your ability to foster a success-driven mindset as well. They say you are the average of the people you spend your time with in proportion to how long you spend your time with each person.

These days, I’ve been feeling a lack of will myself. Some ways in which I have been trying to increase my will is to, for example, take Zumba group classes. When I see how hard the instructor is working and how other people are doing in the class, it makes me want to increase my efforts and try my best as well. It’s a good way for me to improve my physical wellness when alone, I would probably just watch YouTube dance videos without getting up and trying it for myself.

I find that a lack of knowledge is not necessarily a barrier for success. The most successful people in history in terms of monetary wealth are not the smartest or brightest people, but those who have been able to utilize other people’s intelligence or knowledge to create products or services of great value to society. They’ve learned that they don’t have to know it all to make it. The entrepreneurial mindset is that even if you don’t know how to do it, someone will, and so you can outsource those abilities to help you succeed in whatever it is you wish to do.

I don’t consider myself a good singer because my technique is off and I haven’t had proper vocal training. So what do I do when singing songs? I use technology (such as  the effects on GarageBand) to improve it. It takes my mediocre voice to the next level. So rather than giving up and saying that I’m not talented enough, I find a way to make it work and make my songs or covers sound nice.

Lack of strength does not matter either when it comes to success. There have been people who are blind or deaf (e.g. Helen Keller) or crippled who have turned their lives into success stories. “I’m not strong enough” just becomes a feeble excuse. And if you believe that you can’t, you won’t. Just as much as if you believe you can, you will. It is all a matter of perception. After all, you are what you feed your mind.

So there you have it, a wise quote on the difference between a successful person and others. It is all in how you develop your mindset. If you find that you have many negative thoughts hindering your success, it may be time for you to re-examine your thoughts and remove those limiting beliefs that are standing in your way.