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The world does not care what you want

First written June 2016 · 1 minute read

One of the best answers I've read about success came from Justine Musk. Here's what it means for athletes planning life after sport.

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Someone once asked an online forum, "What do I need to do to make a billion dollars?" One of the answers came from Justine Musk, the author and former wife of Elon Musk. It's one of the best things I've read about success, and it has stayed with me. Her first point is that it's the wrong question.

Her second point is one every athlete should hear. Determination and hard work matter, but they're only the minimum requirement. Nearly every athlete I've known worked incredibly hard. Hard work got them into the game. On its own, it won't carry them through life after it.

Instead, she says, stop focusing on what you want and get deeply, intensely curious about what the world wants and needs. Then master one thing, and master a second, so you can bring the two worlds together in a way nobody else can.

That's where athletes have an edge. You already know one world deeply: your sport. Learn a second, such as business, coaching, media or technology, and you can move between the two, speak both languages and connect people that others can't.

It sounds harsh, but I find it freeing. The world rewards value, not effort or entitlement. If you're planning your life after sport, start with what people need and what you can offer that nobody else can. It's the idea I come back to again and again: don't seek to be a person of Importance. Seek to be a person of Value.

Read Justine Musk's full answer.