Why It's Not Enough To Just Do Things Right

Every once in a while, I hear people say that in order to be successful, you have to do things right. In anything that you do, make sure that you do it right. Doing it wrong (or mediocre) will cost you in the long run. It's true that you need to do things right to achieve success, but it's only part of the equation.

It's not enough to just do things right, it's also important to do the right things. If you do things that aren't moving you forward on the path to success, it's not going to help you be successful, even if you're doing it right or with excellence.

Let's say that your goal is to be a doctor, then the right things to do are: go to college, get good grades, and go to medical school. The wrong thing to do would be going to culinary school instead of college. You could be great at studying to be a chef and cook the tastiest meals, and while you could still eventually change careers and become a doctor, it doesn't directly help move you forward towards becoming a medical doctor.

Even if you do go to medical school (which is doing the right thing), you must also do well there in order to become a doctor. This applies not just to your career, but in everything in life. If you don't do things right (or well enough), then you aren't helping yourself reach your goal. You need to both do things right and do the right things to be successful.

Roderick Conwi writes about personal and professional development at Nourishment Notes. He is also the author of The Procrastinator's Quick Guide To Getting It Done. To get powerful insights to enhance your day, join his FREE newsletter.