The stories of overnight success often fascinate us. Overnight success as entrepreneurs, authors, actors, and doctors.
One mammoth deal. One chart-topper bestseller. One super-hit film. One miraculous surgery. In the case of start-up entrepreneurs or actors, incidents of overnight success are slightly less impossible. One good judgment or one good movie could turn out to be a major success and transform your fate. There’s this one final moment when you hit the threshold. And the world suddenly regards your victory. The society quickly stamps it as ‘overnight success’. Truth is that the society finds it more convenient to glorify the final moment when you hit the bulls-eye. Valiant successes are an inspiration. And such tales are food for extended discussions and gossip.
Most other professions have a process-oriented growth curve. A millennial fresher joining the corporate bandwagon doesn’t become a Vice-President overnight. The person usually enters a freshman designation and works his way up the ladder. Through complicated appraisals, promotions and years of hard work. The growth is predictable and the ‘wonder’ element is mostly missing.
Honestly, ‘overnight success’ is a big fat lie. Behind every overnight success story is a history of sleepless nights and struggles. For obvious reasons, the struggle stories are tweaked, selectively narrated and rarely shared. Struggles make us look less magical and more conventional. The world has been continually witnessing high degrees of depression, strife, and disorder. What it needs is Heroes, with the Midas touch. Motivation is a rare element to find.
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Thanks. Obviously the hard work that goes into success often remains untold.
Many times overnight success does not reflect the years spent in preparing for it.
Ypur article is really well written and has rightly attracted genuine opinions.
Excellent
Very, very rarely – a child star who is a perfect fit, and doesn’t need to actually act. And they often don’t last. Hollywood is littered with former child stars.
The concept of overnight itself is fuzzy. These are professions that build gradually. Over a course of several months and years. None of us could boast of having achieved success as a God showered miracle which happened one fine morning, irrespective of the timelines.
When I finally become a success, when will the ‘overnight’ counting begin from? When I started writing fiction (1995, est.)? When I started writing the WIP (2000)? When I published the first volume of the PC trilogy (2015)?
I’ll take it, whatever it is whenever it happens, but the counting part of overnight is a little fuzzy.
Haha! I can understand, Roy! 🙂
Call me Roy. That’s the camouflaged identity I prefer living within. Atleast with the spheres of online identity. The reality and real self are often far from interesting 🙂
Yes. They are an illusion.
You are a realistic. By what name should I address you?
Today people are running after overnight success. Hardly do they understand that it is just a mirage.
Thanks. Call me a pessimistic, but I don’t believe in miracles. I haven’t see any miracle ever happen to me or anyone from my far fetched social circuit. So miracles such as ‘overnight success’ to me is impossible.
Overnight success is rare. I am happy you decided to talk about it.