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Successful people

There are many books about being successful, especially about how to be successful in business. This topic, of course, interests many people. The fact that the flurry of books on success has not come to an end seems to indicate that, despite the issue’s prominence, the ultimate answer has not yet been found. Perhaps the best advice is not to spend much time on this kind of literature. To charge it: if you have read one, you have read all.

In spite of the previous advice, recently, I took the trouble to read a blog message on Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant Halvorson. I leave it in the middle whether I did  his to explain my successes or my failures.

From the nine ‘things’, I choose one. It says “Have grit”. Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. According to the author, studies show that gritty  people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college grades. I personally would add that recent research has shown that young people’s brains are not (fully) conditioned yet to plan and consider long-term interests. Therefore, I am inclined to say, having parents and educators who compensate for this are of great importance.

This has also to do with the content of educational programmes. It is true that a bachelor’s degree should prepare for the labour market so that right after raduation it is (relatively) easy to find a job. However, what about the longer term. In principle, your time at the university should give you an ability to develop further. It should not necessarily be your intellectual summit, but the beginning of a journey of intellectual and spiritual growth. I feel this is also a key to being successful.

Dr Teun Wolters, Christmas 2011