Embracing the 5%: A New Approach to Personal Growth and Success

The other day, I had a conversation with a friend. He was singing praises of a new mindset coach he discovered on YouTube. It got me thinking about the routine often employed by many, but not all, of these mindset coaches.

Indeed, when the routine proves effective, its transformative power receives acclaim. Should it fail, the individual carries the burden. The reason for the failure? There was insufficient adherence to the regimen. How convenient...

But this blame deflection is not a strategy exclusive to mindset coaches. It finds use among business consultants imparting corporate frameworks. Same routine, again and again. Who are these people anyway?

But let's ignore that and focus on what's important here: The goal of becoming the 1%.

To define the top 1%, we would have to discuss it in relative terms to a specific field. However, our discussion centers on Meta-level life strategies. We will not limited ourselves to particular contexts. Instead we will look for applicable lessons that are transferrable to any field.

Much of our wisdom hinges on refining mindset, routines, goals, diet. You heard it a million times. But the influence of these adjustments can only take you so far.

The top 1% have resources that the average person does not. This might be a natural resistance to a harmful chemical that would kill you. But in their case, it boosts muscle-growth by 1000%. Won't you try some of this poison yourself? It's good for this super-athlete, what could go wrong? And they always sell it to you the same way: "A study finds... ", "Breakthrough research suggests... " What it suggests is that there are some freaks of nature out there. They have a birth advantage you can't emulate. And some you may not even want to emulate. Think of autistic savants. They can calculate the warp-field gravity around the sun. Let them buy bread at the supermarket though?

Now, you can try to copy the 1%. And in the time you waste trying to copy them, they will compound their advantage.

And you may think... "Shouldn't I still strive for progress? Even if I won't catch up to them, even the chase alone will make me better!" You are correct! The chase itself is noble and will help you grow.

You may also think that: "Then it's all about finding that right place where you are the 1%. Find the place where you have an unfair advantage." And if you are amazing at reframing, you may even find it! But if you are the average person out there, you'll be running in circles a long time before you figure out that place. In the meantime you made no progress at all.

Instead of chasing your own tail, I propose a different approach: Emulate the top 5%

The top 5% are individuals who command replicable skills and could yield more rewarding outcomes. Their rank in the top 5% springs from their dedication to a proven system. A system open to your replication. Their distance from the top 1% stems from their lack of the 'unfair advantage' that characterizes the top 1%. Also known as 'talent'.

Now who those 5% are, I leave up to you. In sports, this is easier due to competitive rankings. In white-collar work it's more complicated. So let me help you with the latter.

If you don't know who you are looking for, start by browsing Social Media or even asking ChatGPT. Look for the 3 most referenced books in your specific field. Look if someone says that's outdated and whom you should follow instead. Look if anyone else references them, until you find the same person referenced again and again. That's your niche 1%. Now look through their followers and see who is successful. That's your 5%. Subscribe and follow!

This isn't the best technique, but it's the best I found so far. If you have a better technique, let me know. I'm curious to hear it.

Before you journey back to your daily routine, let me remind you of the Christian Prayer of serenity. Regardless of your confession, you may find this useful:

Grant me patience to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage and strength to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.