Have you ever noticed that some people simply seem to be coasting through life? Maybe they just seem to always gravitate toward getting the best pay in their chosen profession, or perhaps their investments always seem to perform well in a way that would impress Warren Buffett. In some cases, if they just seem to get leaner and stronger as they get older. Those people really suck, don’t they? You always look for their secret excuse for success, like having a natural gift or talent that you do not have. And you can usually find something – a well connected family member, an easier commute to work (making it easier to put in the needed hours), or some such thing.
But what is what these people have that most of us do not is not something on the outside of themselves? What if their “advantage” is nothing more than an addiction? While the workaholic types are not traditionally good role models, because their lives tend to be unbalanced and miserable, they do have one trait that can be harnessed, albeit with more moderation than they typically do with it. Having an addiction to something that makes you more successful in life is a great way to get ahead, no matter what you do.
If you were a mutual fund manager, do you think it would be a positive addiction to be extremely dogged in tracking down where a potential investment’s earnings go? Or do you think it would be more beneficial to you to be addicted to talking to people in the companies you’re considering, to get a feel for the corporate culture? And like a popular university says, why not both? If you could develop only one habit that would make your life better, and get to the point where you have to do it, what would it be?