Wanna know the secret to success in business? In relationships? In life?
Get ready...here it comes:
There are no secrets.
We like to think there are. (We really hope there are.) Infomercials promise them. Bestselling books and their covers tout them. Keynote speakers and private consultants hawk them. Secrets abound, it seem.
But the truth of it? No one has any secrets to success.
Take weight loss, for example. For millennia, the secret to weight loss has been this: diet and exercise.
That'll be three easy payments of $49.95.
There are no creams or pills you can indulge. Just get your ass on a treadmill and lay off the sweets.
This summer, a dude won the French Scrabble tournament and he doesn't even speak the language. Certainly he has a secret, right?
When interviewed, he said:
“I’m not sure there is a secret,” he said. “It’s just a matter of learning the words.”
The only reason something sounds like a secret is because it's rare. And as it turns out, nothing is as rare these days as hard work.
The secret to real estate? Learn the nuances of a zip code. The secret to investing? Examine a balance sheet and be patient. The secret to growing a company big? Make a great product, offer superior service, and treat your customers well.
When in doubt, don't search for a secret. Just get to work.