I’m taking a course with Steven K. Scott called “Master Strategies of Super Achievers.” He is imminently qualified to teach this class. After utterly failing in his first eight jobs out of college (in less than five years), Scott launched the first of twelve businesses that have achieved multi-million dollars in profits, billions in sales.
Scott has studied the habits of many super-successful people over the last two hundred years and found that they share fifteen strategies that set them apart from the rest of us. Most of us are either drifters, pursuers or achievers. Less than 1/10 of a percent could be called a super-achievers; that’s one in a thousand. Drifters (50% of us) wait for things to come to them. Pursuers (30% of us) work very hard, but rarely accomplish much in terms of results. Achievers (19.9%) see modest results from their exceptional effort. Super achievers operate under a totally different mindset.
I like the example he gave. We’re all trying to get from L.A. to Atlanta. For most of us the journey sounds too far. Drifters try to get their wearing their dress shoes. Pursuers wear running shoes, but wear out after 5 miles. Achievers train for a marathon. Super achievers drive a high-performance car at 150mph!
As I watch and read these lessons, I find myself struck that I rarely make plans for the things that really matter. Scott remarks that most of us spend more time planning for our vacations than we do for our careers or the things we find most meaningful.
As it relates to my vision for art, theology and culture, especially the creation of a new kind of training institute, I am challenged to dream in a different kind of way. What would be the ramifications if this institute succeeds? What would the world be missing if I failed or never tried?
Those are challenging questions. I wonder how these questions challenge what you’re doing…
For more on Steven K. Scott’s materials see this website: http://www.stevenkscott.com/