A bit left field for a Monday but I was privileged to attend the Better Business Summit in Melbourne this year and a presentation given by Matt Church. As I listened intently I remembered back to my wife and I being interviewed by our children’s primary school a couple of years ago and the principal asking us the question, ‘What do you want your child to get out of this school?’ Naturally we both answered rather blandly, ‘To learn as much as possible, to be a good student etc.’ The list went on.
Getting back to Matt’s presentation, which was 75% statistics (pardon the pun) but he quoted, ‘4% of successful people are intelligent’ and ‘50% of what is learnt in the first year of an engineering degree is out of date by the end of the course.’
So what is success? I am sure everyone has their own idea of success; money, fame, along with becoming the next Roger Federer (insert the sports star or actor of your choice).
Mine have now changed. I see being resilient, learning how to fail (quickly if possible) and try again (we all know Incy Wincy Spider), having a loving family and a strong support network of friends, being both mentally and physically healthy and, most importantly, being happy.
I am certainly no guru on parenting, it is a journey of learning for all involved, but what are your views on success and what makes a successful person?