Larry Smith’s TEDTalk is going to let you in on a secret about why you will fail to have a great career even if you work hard.

It comes down to missed opportunities. Fear. Lacking passion. Believing you are not weird enough. Not believing you can achieve your destiny. Great excuses. Thinking that you have to be lucky to have a great career.

But don’t take my word for it. Listen to the talk for TEDTalk Tuesday.

Here’s the secret: You want to work hard? You want to work really, really, really hard? You know what? You’ll succeed. The world will give you the opportunity to work really, really, really, really hard.

How unexpected is it that to work hard isn’t enough? It’s what our parents told us was required to be successful. It’s what our parents’ parents told them. And, it is what we will tell the generations that follow us.

But the truth is that in order to have a truly great career, we have to put ourselves out there. To take the risk that our passion is bigger than ourselves and that we can accomplish our destiny. Perhaps we will become more successful than we ever imagined.

What I think is that we fear success (and hide behind hard work) because it means:

  • We might have to change or move. Like Will from Good Will Hunting.
  • We have to step out of our comfort zone.
  • Our friends may become jealous of us, our success, and our happiness.
  • Or, the people in our lives right now aren’t the people we should surround ourselves with.
  • You might fail.

Remember, don’t work hard at something that is just interesting. If the dream of your future doesn’t awaken a fear or an excitement deep inside then your are destined to fail to have a great career.

So as Sheryl Sandberg so famously said:

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

If you’re ready to have a great career, let’s set up a 20 minute meeting to talk about it. I’d love to work with you to be be wildly successful. EMAIL: DrDana at fedability.com