Comments on: PASSION was number one for Bill http://www.richardstjohn.com/blog/passion-was-number-one-for-bill/2009/03/04/ The 8-Traits that Lead to Great Success Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:50:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Alex Swanson http://www.richardstjohn.com/blog/passion-was-number-one-for-bill/2009/03/04/comment-page-1/#comment-228 Alex Swanson Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:02:12 +0000 http://richardstjohn.com/blog/?p=93#comment-228 Richard, I just found your site and think it is great. I think you missed the point here, however. I agree with you that passion is essential for success, and I don't think that Gladwell would disagree with you either. He mentions the fact that you need 10,000 hours of doing something to become truly great at it. Only a person who is passionate will be able to devote 10,000 hours to something. However, Gladwell's point is that to truly be an outlier, you need more. Luck is involved. Gates needed all of your 8 traits, plus had to be in the right place at the right time. He would have been in the top 0.1% without luck, but with luck, was able to be in the top 0.001% The good news, however is that anyone is able to achieve a great level of success without being at the right place at the right time. It is true that all we need is the 8 success principles that you describe. Richard,

I just found your site and think it is great.

I think you missed the point here, however. I agree with you that passion is essential for success, and I don’t think that Gladwell would disagree with you either. He mentions the fact that you need 10,000 hours of doing something to become truly great at it. Only a person who is passionate will be able to devote 10,000 hours to something.

However, Gladwell’s point is that to truly be an outlier, you need more. Luck is involved. Gates needed all of your 8 traits, plus had to be in the right place at the right time. He would have been in the top 0.1% without luck, but with luck, was able to be in the top 0.001%

The good news, however is that anyone is able to achieve a great level of success without being at the right place at the right time. It is true that all we need is the 8 success principles that you describe.

]]> By: Mike Sporer http://www.richardstjohn.com/blog/passion-was-number-one-for-bill/2009/03/04/comment-page-1/#comment-229 Mike Sporer Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:43:18 +0000 http://richardstjohn.com/blog/?p=93#comment-229 Passion comes first in everything, Richard!!!! Passion comes first in everything, Richard!!!!

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