Why Others’ Success Stories May Not Work for You

We all have read advice from our career heroes on how they achieved massive fame, fortune, and adoration that catapulted them to legendary status. And who hasn’t daydreamed about following in our heroes’ footsteps, doing just what they did to capture a small piece of our own career glory?

There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but I have some unfortunate statistics for you (yes, that’s me – as fun as an algebra teacher).

But when it comes right down to it, what worked for the most successful people in your professional field won’t necessarily work for you. In fact, there’s an overwhelming likelihood that it won’t. Even if you manage to become the next Steve Jobs or Paul Rand, the way you achieve your success will likely look nothing like the road they each took.

When following pre-traveled paths, it’s important to consider your own individual circumstances. Your needs, goals, and available resources are unique to you, and doing things just because someone else did them may actually hold you back from achieving what you were truly meant to achieve.

Eat the Meat, Leave the Bones

Here’s something to try the next time you read an inspirational or instructive book or blog post: Read it through and take notes on things that resonate with you – if something doesn’t resonate, ignore it. It’s important to pick and choose what’s relevant for you specifically and leave the rest. Be ruthless in ignoring whatever doesn’t fit your particular situation – yes, even if it’s this very article.

You shouldn’t let anyone’s opinion stop you from attempting something you want to try. The only way to find out if something will work for you is by trying it.

You Know Yourself Best

It can be discouraging when someone you admire gives advice that completely contradicts what you believe to be the right path for you. You may feel as though you must follow that advice because a famous person says it’s the only way, but that’s nonsense.

In our age of limitless access to infinite information, it’s possible to piece together your own road map for success that’s tailor-made for you and free of irrelevant bits. After all, even our heroes say weird, irrelevant things from time to time. They’re only human.

Read, Read, Read

As a writer, I might be overstating the importance of constant reading. Just kidding – that’s impossible. Reading is vital to your growth in any field, particularly in creative ones. Next to travel and first-hand experience, reading is the best way to learn about the world and draw inspiration from it.

Read for Ideas

The way in which we convert words into images can have a completely different effect on our brains than actually looking at something. This is why reading makes you smarter than watching television.

You’re still receiving information either way, but only reading engages your imagination and visualization skills, which makes your brain work harder, generating more neural connections and new ideas.

After reading enough, you may find yourself creating your own path to success that has nothing to do with whatever your heroes did before you. Then, you can write your own book and share your wisdom with others.

The Opposite of Your Inspiration

Want to get the most out of reading? Here’s the secret: you have to read everything. That’s right – anything you can get your hands on, even if it seems irrelevant to what you want to know. Read lots of new books and blogs; don’t just keep recycling your favorites.

If you only read things you like and agree with, you will become entrenched in a very narrow way of thinking about success, creativity, and life in general.

Challenge Your Reading List

Read things you wouldn’t normally read, and even things you’re pretty sure you’ll hate. Sometimes you can learn the most from the people with whom you strongly disagree. I’ve gotten loads of inspiration from books and blog posts that seemed on the surface like a waste of time. But if you gain even a shred of a usable idea, it was worth it.

Why? Because you’re not just reading for fun; you’re reading to plan out your own professional road map.

Learning for Science

As a designer, you shouldn’t be consuming information strictly for pleasure but also for research. Don’t just read a book, or look at a design, or digest a blog comment and then move on without taking notes, making sketches, and putting your brain to use in coming up with extrapolations and further developments of idea fragments.

When stitched together, those fragments can create a whole that will shock you with its originality and freshness. I like to keep a notebook nearby at all times when I’m browsing the internet or curled up with a new book. I never know when inspiration may strike from something I’m reading or looking at, and I want to make sure I don’t let any intriguing ideas slip away.

That’s not to say I’ll actually use every idea that comes into my head, but it’s important to get them down on paper to sift through and find the gold nuggets.

In Conclusion

By arming yourself with a wide variety of knowledge, you can bend the “rules” handed out by others to your own expectations and avoid getting stuck following advice that’s guaranteed to doom any real success you might have.

Remember that your individual results not just may but will vary – often widely – and don’t take every single opinion of a respected industry leader at face value. Challenge it, put it to the test, and see if it really holds true as it appears on the surface.