According to Steve Jobs, one simple decision — and one simple word — will never let you down
Steve Jobs had extremely high expectations. He challenged himself — and the people around him — to work smarter, work longer, and work harder so he, and they, could accomplish everything they dreamed possible.
Jobs believed in the power of asking. Jobs believed the future was something we can all make our mark upon.
And maybe even more important, Steve Jobs believed in the fundamental power of belief itself.
As Jobs said:
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.
You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
One of the biggest reasons most of us don’t set out to achieve a huge goal is that we think we first need to develop a comprehensively detailed grand plan, one where every step is charted, every milestone identified — where success is pre-ordained.
But because we don’t have that kind of plan — because creating that kind of plan is basically impossible — we hesitate. We need to see an end before we see a beginning.
And so we never start.
Jobs knew that plans are never perfect. Only in hindsight can they appear that way.
Here’s what really happens. People who eventually find success start by trying things. Lots of things. They succeed at some. They fail at others. They learn from those successes and those failures.
And along the way they seize and at times even create their own opportunities to advance themselves.
Want to start a business? Want to improve your health and fitness? Want to change careers? Determine the first steps. Get started. Keep going.
Most important, trust yourself.
Trust that you’ll figure out how to react and how to respond to roadblocks and challenges. Trust that you will become a little wiser for the experience. Trust that you’ll grow more skilled, more experienced, and more connected.
Try enough things, learn from every success and every setback, and in time you’ll have all the skills, knowledge, and experience you need.
You can never guarantee that you will always succeed, but when you never bet on yourself and try something new, you can definitely guarantee that you will never succeed.
Trust that the dots will someday connect. Believe that the dots will someday connect.
In the meantime, your life will be a lot more interesting.
And a lot more fun.
By Jeff HadenContributing editor, Inc.