Success is a Result of Innovation: Using your purpose to drive impact for good
Success is an interesting term. It has one definition, but many different meanings.
What is the most successful thing that you have ever done? It is likely that whatever you consider to be your greatest accomplishment, was something that took much effort to complete.
I have written about the size of accomplishments previously, and must not undermine the important of smaller successes. Remember to celebrate your daily wins. But, if we consider our greatest accomplishments, there was more to think about. It took more time. It took more effort. It probably included more frustration along the way.
Today, I would like you to consider a concept.
Significance and innovation are highly correlated.
The harder something is to accomplish, the less likely it has previously been done. Actually, the hardest things have never been done at all. This is because what one needs to do in order to accomplish them has not been discovered. Innovation is required.
The Internet was a great innovation (or a conglomeration of great innovations). You can read about the 12 Greatest innovators of all time in three minutes. Incredible. I can’t imagine having to consult an encyclopedia anymore. This list is subjective, of course. But it’s important to note that the significance of these accomplishments revolves around innovative minds.
We are all not going to win a Noble Prize like Marie Curie, build a software empire and massive foundation like Bill Gates, or develop the telephone like Alexander Graham Bell (see this commercial, can’t get past Mr. Bell without the Manning brothers, skip to 2:15 for Bell’s cameo). However, innovation is not out of reach.
Humans are habitual beings. After all, Habits shape your life! This article states, “Habits are our brains way of increasing efficiency.” You have to love efficiency. The human brain’s efficiency has been around far longer than the technology related efficiencies that we have these days. You know I support today’s modern technology as an excellent tool. But, our current topic relates to our natural human habits.
If habits are natural, then innovation is not. Creating new ways of doing things and developing new processes is hard. Would it be easier to exercise one of the thousands of habits you have, or to start a new one? Is it easier to eat a fast food hamburger every Wednesday after work or stop at the grocery store, shop for natural ingredients, and make a healthy meal?
I must emphasize that simple and complicated are a different relationship than easy and hard. You do not need an extremely technical skill to innovate. It may be very challenging, but you might develop something extraordinary mostly out of effort. This means that desire can be the root of innovation. If you WANT to make a difference, you can.
If you are a business leader in innovation, read “The eight essentials of innovation”, by Marc de Jong, Nathan Marston, and Erik Roth. If not, just consider what change you’d like to make (no matter the size) and take note of everything you know about the subject. I find that laying out all the facts is a great way to stimulate the brain and creativity. The brain’s desire to connect concepts is habitual. Hmm, sounds familiar…
We should define success upon our recognition of the desire to innovate. You may end up going in a completely unexpected direction, but a having a goal provides some initial direction. For an example of how innovation can be unexpected, read “Viagra: How a little blue pill changed the world."
Success means one thing to me, something different to you, and something else to our friend. It’s good that we can all find different meanings for success. If it were the exact same thing for all of us, that would be pretty boring and impossible to achieve.
Some may argue that “keeping up with the Joneses” is alive and well as a social condition. I would say it may be, but it’s wrapped in vanity. What truly makes you happy is not actually what the Jones’ have. Impressing your neighbor may provide a dopamine stimulus, but it doesn’t provide sustainable success and feelings of achievement.
When I was child (an only child), my parents would usually take a week’s vacation by themselves and leave me with my father’s parents. I loved Nanni and Pop-pop. They loved me. We were two generations apart. They lived in a retirement community in Delray Beach, FL. I could only play so much “Go Fish” and “Rummikub.” There wasn’t much to do for a ten year old, except Bucky Dent Baseball Camp (which changed names in 2013).
Every year, I would spend a week with my grandparents and go to baseball camp. It was a great place for a baseball fan. Bucky Dent was a Major League Baseball player in the 70’s and 80’s. In Delray Beach, there is a stadium called Little Fenway with the field built to nearly the exact dimensions of the real Fenway Park in Boston. I’m pretty sure I blasted some balls over the “Little Green Monster”. What a thrill for a little ballplayer.
As fun as baseball camp was, it wasn’t all day. It was also with a bunch of kids I didn’t know and that probably went home to their grandparents house every night like me (wait, maybe we should have coordinated some hang out time…). Looking back, I probably should have been satisfied with baseball camp, a place to sleep, and some family time. But, as I mentioned above, I was an only child. I also liked “free stuff” (still do).
I also mentioned fast food earlier. Sadly, I made my grandma take me, every day throughout the week I was with her, to Burger King for chicken tenders and whatever giveaway they provided in a kids meal. I also typically required a supplemental burger, fries, or other indulgent item. How else was I supposed to perform at camp the next day?
What was brilliant about Burger King (no, this is not a marketing blog), was that they created an urgency and desire to finish the entire collection. It would be a week long promotion and they would have seven different pieces of whatever collection was being offered. I believe my favorite of all the years was Ninja Turtles. That and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (that aired a little later in life) were probably the only fictional series I cared about in my youth.
With the Ninja Turtles being so important to me, I HAD to have every piece in the collection. It was more important that I obtained every piece than the food that came with it. It was sort of like we went there to buy the toy and they threw in a Whopper. I also think the last time I went to Bucky Dent Baseball Camp was the last time I ever spent money (or spent my family’s money) at a Burger King.
I think I have grown out of my obsession with Ninja Turtles and completing kid’s meal collections, but it can still be challenging at times to overcome the desire to keep up with whatever the latest trend is. It seems harder as time goes on. I think I’m still catching up on the latest from the 2000’s.
The dopamine “hits” that I probably received from acquiring each piece of the those collections were just like what we experience now with short term, meaningless satisfactions. They are fleeting.
True success lies in one’s own, self-defined accomplishments.
There is something special about identifying an issue, developing a solutions, executing a plan, and reaching success.
It must note that success, although good can be overdone. Once success becomes too easy, it becomes habit. Innovation is gone.
There is certainly value in the journey. You learn from your mistakes. You come up with other ideas. And, you ensure accuracy.
Although more technical than this commentary, How to Turn an Innovation Failure Into Success, is a great article about failures leading to successes. This proves that you cannot reach a point where everything is successful.
I must stress that the challenge of innovation not only provides a more sustainable and enjoyable accomplishment, but it also trains the mind to innovate more. Creating requires practice, just like many other things. As you get better at critical thinking and searching for ideas, you will find newer and better ways to make change. You become an innovator.
I believe there isn’t a much stronger force in the universe than purpose. Unfortunately, some can use it inappropriately, but the majority of people can do great things if they find a purpose.
It is more important that you find your purpose than choose a skill to develop. With purpose, skills will come. They must.
I found the Top 20 Must-Have Skills to Put on Your Resume. Great list. But, there’s a million people who have those skills.
If you’re looking for a job. Share your purpose. If you’re the one hiring. Share your purpose. If you are looking for support. Share your purpose. If you’re starting something and you want it to be big. SHARE YOUR PURPOSE.
Your purpose is contagious. It’s attractive. It’s moving. It will motivate others just as it has motivated you.
The next time someone asks you, “What’s going on? or How’s life?”, be prepared to tell them your purpose. Don’t say, “same old, same old”. They’re not going to help you innovate if they don’t know what you’re passionate about.
Innovate for good.
You’ll find success.