What do Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Oprah Winfrey have in common? Besides being some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, none of them finished college. In fact, there are many cases of people who have achieved professional and financial success without having a university degree, and even without having completed basic education. How did they do it? What factors influence their success? Is it possible to replicate their strategies?
In this article, we are going to explore some of the reasons why there are people without a profession who have become millionaires and successful, and what we can learn from them.
Passion for what they do
One of the most common characteristics of successful uneducated people is that they have a passion for what they do. They are not content to follow the conventional path of studying a degree, getting a job and working for someone else. They have a vision of their own, an idea that motivates them and drives them to create something new, different and valuable.
Passion is what allows them to overcome the obstacles, failures and criticisms they inevitably face along the way. Passion is what gives them the energy, perseverance and confidence to keep going, even when no one believes in them. Passion is what makes them enjoy what they do, and not see it as an obligation or a sacrifice.
As Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, famously said in his speech at Stanford University, "I'd like to thank you for your support:
You have to find what you love. And that's as true for your work as it is for your loves. Your work is going to fill a big part of your life, and the only way to be truly fulfilled is to do what you think is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with everything that has to do with the heart, you'll know it when you find it. (Jobs, 2005)
Innovation and creativity
Another reason why there are people without a profession who have become millionaires and successful is that they are innovative and creative. They do not limit themselves to copy or imitate what already exists, but they seek to create something new, different and better. They do not get carried away by fashions, trends or other people's opinions, but follow their own intuition, their own criteria and their own vision.
Innovation and creativity are the keys to generate value in the market, to solve problems, to satisfy needs and to create opportunities. Innovation and creativity are the keys to differentiate from the competition, to create a competitive advantage and to generate a personal brand.
As Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, said in an interview with The New Yorker:
The question I always ask myself is: Are we doing the most important thing we could be doing (...) Unless you're working on the most important thing you could be working on, you're meaningless. That's what I believe. (Vargas, 2010)
Continuous learning
A third reason why there are people without a profession who have become successful millionaires is that they are continuous learners. The fact that they have not finished college does not mean that they have not studied or are not continuing to study. On the contrary, they are self-taught, curious and eager for knowledge. They learn from everything and everyone, from their own experiences, from their mentors, from their colleagues, from their clients, from their competitors, from books, from courses, from podcasts, from videos, and from others.
El aprendizaje continuo es lo que les permite adaptarse al cambio, mejorar sus habilidades, ampliar sus conocimientos, descubrir nuevas posibilidades y mantenerse actualizados. El aprendizaje continuo es lo que les permite crecer, evolucionar y progresar en su campo de acción.
As Oprah Winfrey, the famous television host and businesswoman, said in an interview with Forbes:
I believe that education is power. I don't think it's just going to school. I believe it is the education of life. I think it's the education of experience. I believe it is the education of exposure. I believe it is the education of curiosity. I believe it is the education of the quest. I believe it is the education of passion. I believe it is the education of determination. I believe it is the education of persistence. I believe it is the education of vision. I believe it is the education of mission. I believe it is the education of intention.
(Forbes, 2011)
Reflection
There are people without a profession who have become millionaires and successful because they have a passion for what they do, an ability to innovate and create, and a habit of continually learning. These are some of the reasons for their success, but they are not the only ones. There are also other factors that influence, such as luck, talent, hard work, networking, leadership, vision, among others.
The important thing is that there is no magic formula or single path to success. Each person has to find his or her own way to achieve his or her goals, according to his or her circumstances, resources, interests and values. What there are are are principles, attitudes and habits that can help us improve our chances of success, and that we can learn from people who have already succeeded.
References
Forbes. (2011). Oprah Winfrey on Career, Life, and Leadership. Recuperado de https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DlrqeWrczs
Jobs, S. (2005). Discurso de Steve Jobs en la Universidad de Stanford. Recuperado de https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/
Vargas, J. A. (2010). The Face of Facebook. Recuperado de https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/09/20/the-face-of-facebook