The Cruelty of “Overnight Success”

 The phrase of overnight success has been heard by us all. It sounds magical, doesn't it? An individual develops a thought, posts a video, drops a song, or launches a product and overnight the world notices. They wake up famous, wealthy and glorified. At least that is the impression on the outside. This is the reality that most people do not discuss, namely, the myth of overnight success is among the most vicious myths around.

It deceives people to believe that success must come quick, effortlessly and without years of hard work. It is a killer that makes the hard working dreamers question themselves. And it becomes beautiful, and slow travelling into races with a clock which cannot be seen.

Let us be frank in discussing why the so-called overnight success is seldom overnight--and how we do better by not believing in it.

The Conspiracy of the Years behind Every "Overnight" Story.

There is always a long, unspoken history behind the time when someone turns into an instant success. Use any celebrity artist, entrepreneur, or sportsman you know- most of them practiced, failed and tried again many years before you even saw them.

As an example, consider the band that explodes at one time with a viral song. What is not visible to people is that they took years to play in small bars, write hundreds of songs, and have a hard time making ends meet. Or the startup founder who made it with a billion-dollar idea- ten other ideas secretly failed.

The reality is that success will tend to be a gradual process, error by error, lesson by lesson. It is not the years of silent struggle that brought people the moment of fame, but the social media and the headlines, however.

The Pressure to "Make It Fast"

It can be readily easy to be tempted to think that we are not doing as well when we see others accomplishing things too fast. You may believe, What ails with me? Why do I not have my work noticed? However that is a dangerous way of thinking--it substitutes growth with guilt.

This is pressure that may cause individuals to hurry up in their process. They do not even have time to enjoy the learning curve as they are in pursuit of quick outcomes. They do not construct something solid but seek shortcuts. When the outcomes fail to accrue promptly, most of them end up abandoning the whole process.

The worst thing about it is this notion of speed does not merely have a detrimental influence on people but on cultures as well. Agencies in entertainment, technology and even social networking, individuals are compensated on viral content instead of hard work. No wonder so much talent is going to waste before its breakthrough occurs.

The Emotional Cost of the Myth of the Instant Fame.

Here is one of the few things that many people admit, sudden recognition can be overwhelming. Success comes at the wrong time when it is anticipated to take longer, so when it comes, people lack both the emotional and practical resources to deal with it.

Suppose you have been working along, quietly, and then one day you are awakened to the attentions, expectations, and criticisms falling upon you in one night. It is good fun, all right--but it can be very frightening. The so-called overnight success later on has been shown to be accompanied by anxiety, self-doubt and imposter syndrome.

And when this first spotlight dies down, as it usually does, they are left wondering what they really are without it. This is why sustainable success, the one that develops with time, is much healthier. It lets individuals grow both emotionally and gaining true confidence, acquiring the skills which will stay.

My Own Wake-Up Call

To tell the truth, there was a moment when I would have wished to become an overnight success as well. I would go up late scrolling through the highlight reels of other people and I would think, they made it. Why not me?" I used shortcuts, rushed work and ended up being frustrated when nothing went viral.

However, with time, I came to know something valuable, namely, all my failures were imparting to me a lesson which I could not have gained in any other manner. The sleepless nights, the baby victories, the failures--it was all moulding me into a better person more competent, more creative, and made of sturdier stuff.

This is when I put an end to short-term outcomes and began thinking of the growth in the long term. The irony of it all is that that is when things began to work out.

Success is not Encircled, but Constructed.

I have a favorite saying: it is ten years to become an overnight success. It sounds funny, but it's true. The majority of significant success cases are created one brick at a time.

The individuals who actually make it are the ones that most likely turn up day in and day out even when nobody is looking. They remain stable, continue to grow and remain humble to continue learning.

In case you are on your own path and feel invisible, unsure, or stuck right now, you need to keep this in mind: you are not failing because it is taking time. You're growing. You are getting what quick prosperity can never teach.

The Overnight Trap: How to Guard Against It.

These are some of the soft tips that can be used to maintain a healthy attitude on your way to your dreams:

1. Celebrate small wins. The smallest step is a step, although no one may see it.
2. Being on top, not on the list. You are making abilities and personality but not followers.
3. Do not judge your Chapter 1 with another person Chapter 20. You are not acquainted with their complete history.
4. Talent is nothing without patience. Everything, including you, is refined by time.
5. Remember why you started. When life is difficult, the reason will keep you on the move.

The lasting success is one that is constructed gradually, sincerely, and conscientiously. And when it does come you will be prepared to have it--because you merit it.

The Beauty of the Slow Burn

Being patient is an act of silent rebellion in a world that is obsessed with going viral. The years of work, loss and development that lead to success may be the loveliest part of the story and may be called the slow burn of success.

It is where you get to be yourself, where your people are, and what you are all about. It is where you get to learn that it is not about how fast you get to destinations but how much you get to know in the process.

The next time you come across a success story of an overnight success, do not get demoralized. Instead, grin and reason out, they must have been years working their way to it. Then again to your trade, your vision, your quest-and patiently proudly.

Since when your time comes--and it is going to come--it is not going to be one of those overnights. It will be earned.