Martin Lewis – The four things you need to be successful

MSE_Eesha · 8 August 2017 at 9:48AM

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "Martin Lewis – The four things you need to be successful" Blog.

Please click 'post reply' to discuss below.

andromedean · 13 August 2017 at 12:05PM

Excellent talk from Martin. However there are many successful people who have only one main attribute; to be born into wealth and heritage. This leads to a privileged education, perhaps one with more focus on communication and presentational skills than academic ability. This might lead to successful career in law, politics, broadcasting or corporate management. These jobs will usually provide far more more power and influence in society than if they studied science or engineering, which requires more ability and hard work. Coming from a wealthy and privileged background will also provide the the necessary influence, contacts and perhaps self believe and expectations to succeed.

Of course science and engineering has been the key driving force behind human progress, it's just that the people who do this often have little influence or reward over how society uses what they produce, in this country at least.

Wizard_of_Id · 14 August 2017 at 1:48PM

I wish that I could read about the 4 things as I can't stand Martin's voice, I also miss half of what he says due to the speed he talks at and his accent.

Is there anywhere that it is all written down?

bugslet · 16 August 2017 at 9:08AM

In brief Wiz:

Talent - you need to be talented at something

Work - work hard and long

Focus - preferably in a narrow field so you can be top dog

Luck.

I'm not what you call successful compared with the monetary rewards Martin has, but I don't at 53, have to work anymore though I still am. And I found myself agreeing with him very much.

Not sure what talent I have, obviously something to do with haulage - it's an industry with a very high failure rate.

Work - he said he did 90 hour weeks for ten years and now thinks he is part time at 50-55 hours a week and that is pretty much word for word, what I say. He does say, you have to be sure about doing that because of the obvious sacrifices. I joke, but it isn't a joke really, that I have no idea what happened to my 30s - I really can't remember them.

Focus - I'm in a really niche market, there are only four other companies that do what I do.

Luck - undoubtedly. The other three can only take you so far, you need that lucky break to make the other three stack up, otherwise you won't be successful. I had one really lucky break and I took it and hung onto it for dear life, without that, might have got nowhere at all.

Wizard_of_Id · 16 August 2017 at 9:20PM

Thanks for that bugslet :T

I was good at what I served my apprenticeship in, trouble was that the world moved on and I became obsolete

I did work long and hard, up to 5 jobs at the same time at one point.

My main focus since I started work was to retire as early as I could so it could be said that I acheived that goal when I was 55, I never 'liked' working, it was always just a means to an end.

Never had any luck in the financial sense, what I have now, I worked for, the next guy always seemed to get the luck

bugslet · 17 August 2017 at 9:37AM

Trucks in the way that we know them, not only in terms of being driverless, but in the way that the whole logistics chain is going to change, so I'll be obsolete too, but fortunately I'll be out of it before that happens.

Retirement, I'm dithering, but certainly by the end of 2019.

Money, I have enough, but not as much as people imagine! Look in the car park and if you didn't know, you'd look at several other vehicles and think they were mine - the one year old VW Scirocco, the sporty Merc, the Skoda saloon with all the gadgets...no, four year old Combo van.:o

Maybe your luck is just round the corner Wiz and trite as it is, health is what counts more than anything.

benedictus_2 · 4 October 2017 at 10:50AM

Is there anywhere that it is all written down?

There's now a link below the YouTube box that toggles subtitles on/off.

Using the subtitles I was able to watch the video in the library without headphones and without disturbing anyone.

:T

Martin Lewis – The four things you need to be successful

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