How to learn to live resolutely

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Many people want to start a business or make a dream come true, but it is not so easy. Renowned entrepreneur Peter Diamandis shares his experience.

1. When you have two options, choose both

We are used to thinking that we should always choose only one of several options. But why?

When I was studying, I was constantly told: "Either study, or do business." However, during my studies, I founded three of my own companies. Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Richard Branson - they all did not stop at one thing.

Peter Diamandis

So when you are offered a choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream, feel free to say, "Both." The more projects you have, the more chances of success you have.

2. If you are refused, you need to contact someone at a higher level

We often hear “no” in response to our request because the person we are addressing is not authorized to say “yes”. Only those who are at the top of the career ladder can give consent.

It took Diamandis 10 years to get permission for his company Zero Gravity Corporation, which organizes zero gravity flights. Due to the large number of risks, none of the middle-level officials gave their consent. In the end, it was only possible to reach an agreement with the head of the US Federal Aviation Administration.

3. Patience is good, persistence is better

What's the use of patience if you don't have persistence? Any daring endeavor requires hard work, so persistence is the foundation of success. This is the ability to not give up even when everyone tells you that you will not succeed.

This "superpower" can also be called courage or fortitude, which helps you not to stop and not succumb to difficulties. Remember, failure is inevitable only when you give up.

4. Only work with people who are perfect for your team

In our era of overabundance, when you can get everything you want and when you want, you should not be content with little. Demand the very best.

If someone in your organization does not meet your requirements, do not tolerate and do not try to "fix" him. Instead, find someone who fully aligns with your team's values and views. Think for yourself what it is better to spend your time on: working with those who are close to you in spirit, or trying to solve the problems of those who do not suit you at all?

5. The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself

The future is not predetermined. It unfolds as a result of our actions, the decisions we make, and the risks we take. And isn't the entrepreneur essentially trying to predict the future? He clearly imagines how he wants to see him, and then translates his ideas into reality.

6. The opinion of experts is not the ultimate truth

For example, in 1714 the Longitude Commission (a body founded by the British government and made up of the finest astronomers of the day) did not award a prize to watchmaker John Harrison, although his longitude tool met all the requirements. It was just that the members of the commission believed that the astronomer should receive the prize.

Experts quite often discourage someone's radical decisions. After all, new inventions that will completely change the established system will lead to the fact that these experts themselves become former experts. So don't always rely entirely on their opinion.

7. Most breakthroughs seem like crazy ideas at first

For example, a computer that runs 50% faster than last year's model is predictable and even expected. But the shift from vacuum tube computers to silicon-based computing is a real breakthrough.

So try to answer this question: Do you give your employees the opportunity to test their crazy ideas? Are you experimenting with such ideas yourself? If you try not to take risks and stick to proven solutions, you are doomed to progress and you will not see big breakthroughs.

8. If it was easy, everything would have been done before you

When five billion people have access to Google and Amazon, you can be sure that everything simple has already been done.

But if you are working on something that really matters to you, even though it takes a lot of your energy, and no one else is doing it, then you are on the right track. Don't be afraid of hard work. Consider this as an indicator of what mark you will leave in history.

9. The most valuable resource is a passionate mind

To achieve something, you need only three components: people, technology and money. If you have the right people on your team and you have enough money, you can create technology - this is called innovation. If you have the people and the technology, you can raise funding - this is called “venture capital”. But money and technology alone, without human perseverance and enthusiasm, can never change the world.

When taking on some bold idea, be prepared that you will have to spend all your energy and attention on it and maintain motivation for decades. And this is possible only if you are wholeheartedly devoted to your work.

I was lucky, I found my main passion as a child. I watched the Apollo 11 landing on the moon in July 1969 and realized that I wanted to get into space and get my friends out there. So listen to your heart and don't forget your dreams.

Peter Diamandis