How to become the best in the world
Let’s talk about the dip
In the past year (slightly over now),
I quit a relationship.
I quit a job.
Why you ask?
Well I believe in the dip. Which is about to become more clear to you in a moment.
In an interview written for The New York Times about The Power of Quitting, decision scientist Annie Duke says that …
[W]e’re really good at coming up with reasons why it’s worth it to continue. That’s why people die on top of mountains. Or people keep running marathons with a broken leg, or people stay in toxic jobs.
How do you become the best in the world at what you do? Or how do you become the best partner in the best relationship?
Well one way we know that won’t happen (or won’t happen as quick as possible) is if we don’t quit the things that are delaying our progress (or in the examples above, if we don’t quit the mountains and marathons that become dangerous).
The same applies if we quit the things that will actually benefit us in the long run. We delay our progress at something worth continuing.
You are probably familiar with the following image:
The big mound of dirt is called the dip; the point at which you can either decide to push harder and emerge victorious or walk away when the going gets tough.
What potentially awaits us if we push harder in the things that we deem worth it?
Seth Godin who has written 21 best-selling books and founded 2 companies has written a little book called The dip: the extraordinary benefits of knowing when to quit (and when to stick).
So that you don’t have to read the book yourself (although I would encourage you to), I’m going to share what I think is the most valuable takeaway and that is the answer to the question how to become the best in the world.
Now, when we say “the best in the world”, we are talking about reaching *your* fullest potential.
Seth makes it clear that the most successful people are exceptional.
They don’t settle for an average or mediocre career, or anything for that matter.
I am not saying that you have to be the best in the world, but I do think we could come to regret it later if we choose what is convenient or easy, over what is challenging but most fulfilling if we really applied ourselves.
So the answer to how to become the best in the world?
According to Seth it is not only about thriving in the dip but choosing the right dip to persist through. Seth says you need to choose a dip where there is a “steep … barrier between those who try and those who succeed.” He continues …
“This path isn’t for everyone but if you choose it, its because you realise there’s a dip, and you believe you can get through it.”
I think what this is saying is figure out your niche.
One that differentiates you from the crowd and then you can effectively become “the best in the world” at it (remember, this is relative).
I subscribe to Ali Abdaal’s Sunday Snippets life advice and productivity blog. For those who may not be familiar with Ali he describes himself as a YouTuber, Podcaster, ex-Doctor and Author.
Upon reflecting about his recent achievement of becoming a New York Times Bestselling Author, Ali wrote …
Whatever I’m working on, I shouldn’t fixate on the destination, and instead focus on enjoying the journey. For whatever comes next, whatever project I decide to work on, the true goal is to enjoy the journey working towards it.
[...]
If you can figure out what you authentically want, and work towards it while enjoying the journey, that’s all that really matters in the end.
A new friend reminded me of this lesson recently also.
I think the word authentically is something worth expanding upon in a future newsletter. But I will leave it there for now.
So, what is your perspective on becoming the best in the world?
Do you think quitting to reach your full potential is worth it?
Let’s chat in the comments.
As you would have seen, this newsletter has been rebranded from adjoainghana to Adjoa’s perspective. If you would like to learn more about what this newsletter can offer you, check out our new About page here. But in a nutshell, I am a top performing law school graduate who resigned from my dream job as a criminal defence lawyer to pursue related but different opportunities. I write this weekly newsletter to inspire and guide you to strive for excellence and score an A+++ in life through real stories and real talk.