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Summary of How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big 

4.7 . 4506 reviews

Short summary

Have you ever taken a look at your life and wondered why you haven't gone much further along? Well, we've all had one or two instances when we thought we should have gotten more out of life than we currently do. There are times when we take a look back at the previous two or three years and wonder where it all went wrong. But in most cases, nothing went wrong. We're just not patient enough to see that every failure we encounter comes with bits of opportunities and lessons essential to set us up for greater success. In “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big,” American author and creative Scott Adams shares how he was able to get comfortable with failure since he was a teenaer and learned to pick its pocket for inspiration. He illustrates how he went from being a hapless worker to being the creator of one of the world's most popular comic strips, “Dilbert” in just a few years. "Simply imagining a better future hacks your brain chemistry and provides you with the sensation of happiness today." ~ Scott Adams

Table of content

  • Summary of How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
  • About the author
  • What is How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big about?
  • Who should read How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
  • Topics in How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
first key point

Forget about passion; being passionate about something doesn't guarantee success

Listen the first key point
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Most people erroneously assume that passion is what leads to success. And this is largely because we often hear successful people say “follow your passion, it's the key to success.” And honestly, it sounds very reasonable the first time you hear it. Passion will presumably energize you, increase your determination, and make you immune to rejection.

However, passion is not as essential to success as we make it out to be. Being passionate about something is not a guarantee that you are going to be successful in it. Yes, passion makes people take big risks in pursuit of unlikely goals, which seldom lead to huge success. But most of the time, it leads to a huge failure.
Energy is good. Passion is bullshit. ~ Scott Adams
Naturally, successful individuals want you to believe that success is a product of their intelligence and hard work, but they also try as much as possible to be humble, that’s why they attribute their success to passion.

In essence, passion is not a definite indicator of success. It’s easy to be passionate about things that are working out perfectly. But no matter how passionate you are about a project, your passion will fizzle out at some point if all your attempts keep failing and don't turn out the way you want.
Success leads to passion more than passion leads to success.
If you ask a successful person to tell you their secret, they might tell you it's passion, because that sounds like a really humble answer. However, if they actually want to be honest with you, they'd tell you that their success was a combination of hard work, determination, brains, desire, luck, and appetite for risk.

This summary will show you how you can play smart while planning your path to success. You will learn how to give yourself the room to fail and cultivate the right energy in everything you do, including school, work, sports, and even your personal life. The following chapters will reveal the methods Scott Adams used to boost his personal energy as he failed his way to success.
second key point

Only losers set goals; winners build their life around systems

All through his career, Scott Adams has always been looking for examples of people who build their lives around systems as opposed to goals. And one spectacular pattern he discovered is that individuals who are system – oriented are more successful and generally do better in life. System–driven people are individuals who have found a way to look at the familiar in new and more useful ways.
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third key point

Being selfish is an essential strategy on your way to success

fourth key point

Learn to set your priorities straight to maximize your personal energy

fifth key point

A positive attitude is an essential tool for living a successful and happy life

sixth key point

Be active every day, but try not to use up your willpower on exercise routines

seventh key point

Happiness: controlling the order and timing of things

eighth key point

Conclusion

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What is How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big about?

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Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.

Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.