Inspiration & Perspiration

Over one hundred years ago, Thomas Edison famously said that ‘invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.’ But what about long-term success? In my experience I think you need a healthy dose of both.

There is no doubt that inspiration, that spark of creativity, and perspiration, taking persistent action, are both vital components of long-term success. Inspiration not matched by perspiration and you are full of ideas, but do or achieve little, and perspiration without inspiration just stinks!

What are your levels of inspiration and perspiration? How can you move forward? Here are some ideas.

The Big Idea Person (High Inspiration/Low Perspiration)

We all know people who talk a great talk. Their heads are filled with wonderful ideas and their lives with unfulfilled promises.
If this is you, you may get very excited with a new idea or venture, but will lose interest quite quickly thereafter.
Action plans are your key for moving forward. Make a list of the various projects you are working on, or have thought about working on. Select the one that is easiest to complete and act on it until it is completed. Simply work through your list one item at a time and you will generate momentum as you go.

The Hard Worker (High Perspiration/Low Inspiration)

You can achieve a lot by simply working hard. Inspiration however is what fuels us, and without it, chances are you won’t feel genuinely fulfilled. Inspiration also ensures we are working smart and not just hard. Of course it is possible to be very disciplined in one area of our lives, for example, a hobby or getting fit, whilst demonstrating little discipline in another area, for example, managing money.
If you have low levels of inspiration, consciously spend some time thinking about what inspires you. Perhaps it is certain types of books, art, people’s stories, nature, some films. If you know the things that inspire you, than consciously spend time tapping into them. Do more of the things that make you come alive.

The Bored Stiff (Low Inspiration/Low Perspiration)

If you’re stuck in the ‘bored stiff’ category, well done on reading this far! Know that this feeling is not permanent, it is usually the result of past disappointments or a simple lack of information, that is not having any frame of reference for how satisfying or how much fun life can be.
To move forward connect with your sources of inspiration (just like the hard worker) but also make sure you succeed at something every day. Set yourself small goals, little targets, even if it is something as simple as tidying a room or asking a question during class. The more you practice succeeding, the more your belief in the possibility of success will grow.

The Fulfilled Success (High Inspiration/High Perspiration)

When inspiration is balanced with perspiration, or as I frequently say, balancing ‘being’ with ‘doing,’ the results can be startling. It is not just about financial or tangible achievements, but that sense of well-being, or being in the zone.
If you fall into this category, you already know you’re capable of great things, though you may not have been consciously aware of what you were instinctively doing. As a high achiever make sure you are taking sufficient time for yourself, doing the things you enjoy doing (sources of inspiration) that will fuel your soul. Also think about the things you don’t enjoy doing and one by one seek ways to stop doing them, either by delegating, outsourcing or simply dropping them.

So many Edison didn’t quite have it right, not in terms of long-term success anyway. Perhaps it is more like 50% inspiration matched with 50% perspiration.

 

 

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