"I figured it out this weekend. I am a “Success Techie.”

During my visit to Silicon Valley in California, I learned the word “technology” is the practical application of knowledge in a particular area and the word “techie” represents someone who is enthusiastic about technology.

Whether in the areas of sport, academics, business, health, finance or relationships, I am always interested in “new tech” to make success happen more easily. So, since the last 20 years have led me on an enthusiastic quest to learn more about particular areas of success…there you have it: Success Techie.

Experiences at both a Silicon Valley start-up and a North Carolina YMCA pushed me another step closer to cracking the “code” of success. At the end of last week, I made a quick trip to San Francisco to consult a technology group. After a few days in Silicon Valley, I witnessed the huge Dreamforce event of hundreds of thousands of people celebrating programming, robots making lattes in cafes, electric Tesla cars silently roaming the streets and the non-stop bombardment of Apple and Google billboards competing for your awareness. In my short time there, I not only saw technological advancements, but also realized how this region has taken on a different feel and culture from other places.

On my flight home, I completed Elon Musk’s biography. Fully inspired by how tech is changing the world, I then spent the majority of the weekend at my daughter’s swim meet. At the meet, my daughter Kristina set personal records in all eight of her events. Some of her times had tremendous drops up to 8 seconds from previous scores!

When I analyzed her results, I applied an idea I learned in California: see the physics in things. To see the physics, you have to do the math. As I ran the math on her races, I first thought about how the combination of things like stroke rate, biomechanics, muscle fiber composition, oxygen consumption, and drag could result in improvement. After more thought, I realized although those were all factors, there were only three variables needed to explain her success

1. Passion

Passion is your excitement for a topic. The greater your passion, the deeper your interest and stronger your willpower and determination.

2. Effort

Effort is your hard labor combined with work ethic. The effectiveness of your effort can be improved with focused repetition and diligent practice.

3. Time

Time is your consistent devotion to the skill or area. The greater the amount of time you invest into something, the more patience and perseverance develop.

When I examined my daughter’s improvement, I realized as her passion has grown for swimming, she has also increased her effort and time into swimming. The result of this combination was lower times (i.e. success). As I started to apply the same three variables to other areas in which people seek improvement (academics, business, music, languages, writing, etc.) a fail-safe formula for success developed:

Success = Passion x Effort x Time

So, after “crunching the numbers” on this formula, you should understand high passion multiplied by consistent effort and long time will develop the most skilled (and potentially successful) person in an area. Not convinced? Let’s run the math!

One goal of new tech is to always seek to make things simpler. When I tried to further shorten the formula, I realized the following three formulas couldn’t produce success, but they did explain scenarios you can experience when you don’t use all three variables at the same time. For instance, even when passion is removed, with effort and time you can still develop a skill. But this is the classic case of getting good at something you don’t love which leads to monotony:

Monotony = Effort x Time

So, passion is an important piece of the formula because it will determine both the level of effort and amount of time you will invest and also your enjoyment. Now, if you add back the passion to the effort but remove the time devotion, you just have a part-time hobby:

Hobby = Passion x Effort

Having a monotonous job can be draining, but at least you can make money. Having a hobby can at least be fun, but without the time, you won’t reach your potential in the area. When you remove effort and add back time to passion, however, you could create the worst scenario. Passion for something and only thinking about it over time leads to fantasy:

Fantasy = Passion x Time

Any of these scenarios sound familiar? Are you not enjoying the success you desire? Use the first formula to determine where you could be going wrong. Run the math on your current life and see which variable might be lacking. Here are some ideas to troubleshoot the formula if you find one of the three variables is low:

Are you passionate about what you do or low in passion?
If you were once passionate and it is waning, think back to the reasons you started.
Action Step 1: Find what you love and do that.

Are you putting in the effort or low in effort?
If your effort has decreased, take small steps each day to build back your discipline.
Action Step 2: Stop the distractions and step it up.

Are you spending the amount of time necessary or low in time?
If you aren’t investing the necessary time, worry about your competitor that is.
Action Step 3: Manage some things in your life better and find the time.

My final two success techie lessons from the formula? Number one, there are no shortcuts to success. Many have passion, but don’t do the work. There are more that have the passion and start with some work, but don’t follow through over time.

Number two, success, according to the formula is not something that happens to you, it is something you create. Since the real determinant of success will be the product of how you combine your passion, work and time, it is your choice whether to be successful or not.

Yours in strength,

Martin"