Have a vision? Follow your dream…with discipline!

About five months ago, I had a social meeting with a long-time friend and his son. My friend wanted his son to meet with me and discuss his thoughts for his future. When we met, the dynamics was so familiar. The father worried about his son’s future, wanted him to get a regular job and so on. The son, on the other hand, had different ideas. More importantly, he had a passion: video games. Most of the night went as one would expect. As we were walking out of the place, the father left us alone for a few minutes. Those few minutes made it obvious that this young guy was no ordinary kid. In addition to being very clear about what his passion was, he also had a game plan to convert his passion to a business.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago… I met my friend (the father) again and listened to the accomplishments of his son in a few short months. He had set up a YouTube channel, broadcasting his expertise on a video game. He beat the game before the provider made changes to it to make it less challenging for the average player. He interviewed on BBC, no less, and has thousands of followers of his video updates. Some of his YouTube videos attracted millions of visitors. And, his efforts started to bear fruit. The month before, he generated what I would call serious revenue for his start-up.

At the second meeting, my friend was no longer worried about his son. Instead, he expressed his admiration for the son’s passion and discipline. And, this is the important point: discipline.

What made this guy successful is the combination of his passion and his discipline. He clearly articulated what he envisioned, which was an achievement in itself. But, he also planned and executed every step to get there. When I was listening to the events of the past months from his father, I was remembering the things the son had told at our first meeting. It was clear that his success was not incidental, it was carefully thought-out and impeccably executed.

My hat is off to this kid!

I welcome your comments on my blog. If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact me at ferhan@ferhanbulca.com.