The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition.
Habits are easier to perform and more satisfying to stick with, when they align with your natural inclinations and abilities.
Genes don’t determine your destiny, they determine your areas of opportunity. The areas where your genetically predisposed to success are the areas where habits are more likely to be satisfying.
The key is to direct your effort towards areas that both excite you and match your natural skills, to align your ambition with your ability.
How do I find out where the odds are in my favour? How do I identify the opportunities and habits that are right for me. Understanding personality.
Bundled together, your unique cluster of genetic traits predispose you to a particular personality.
Your personality is the set of characteristics that is consistent from situation to situation. The Big Five – Personality Traits.
- Openness to experience – From curious and inventive on one end to cautious and consistent on the other.
- Conscientiousness – Organized and efficient to easygoing and spontaneous.
- Extroversion – Outgoing and energetic to solitary and reserved (you likely know them as extroverts vs introverts).
- Agreeableness – Friendly and compassionate to challenging and detached.
- Neuroticism – Anxious and sensitive to confident, calm, and stable.
Learning to find a game where the odds are in your favour.
Learning to play a game where the odds are in your favour is critical for maintaining motivation and feeling successful. In theory, you can enjoy almost anything. In practice, you are more likely to enjoy the things that come easy to you. People who are talented in a particular area tend to be more competent at that task and are praised for doing a good job. They stay energised because they are making progress where others have failed, and because they got rewarded with better pay and bigger opportunities, which not only makes them happy but also propels them to produce even higher-quality work. Its a virtuous cycle.
