What is the best metric & gameplan for Success?

A framework mixed with the best leaders opinions, including the billionaire Warren Buffett.

Sezai Burak Kantarcı
5 min readJul 12, 2022
The man got a point. (Source: Routers)

What is the meaning of success?

Happiness? Being content? Living in gratitude?

I searched for this question’s answer, from the people that lead the best companies in the world.

Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and so on..

Here is the one that most struck with me. From Warren Buffet:

“If you get to be 65 or 70 and later, and the people that you want to have love you actually do love you, you’re a success.”

In a way, this sentence represents an ideal. So, I guess it could be a good thing to chase.

Although it doesn’t really give you practical steps to get there.

So I wanted to provide you something that you can actually apply.

And bebetter Pentagon was born.

Not as mysterious as the one in U.S (Source: Giphy)

I formulated this approach with about 3 years worth of thinking. Because it was something I could not get my mind out of.

You know, the big questions.

This is currently the best deck I have that I’m happily sharing with you.

bebetter Pentagon (Source: Yours Truly)

The main idea is that, in order to be successful, you have to be better than you are yesterday. But that itself is not helpful. How exactly are we going to do that?

So going one layer deeper, here are 5 paths in life that you can be better than you are yesterday.

We will go over them one by one.

Mind

We have to become deadly serious about how we discriminate the input sources for our minds.

There is a horrible word for people. Discrimination.

Yeah, discriminate ideas for your mind, like your life depends on it.

We have to stop listening to anything that will gives us cheap dopamine, a short time enjoyment. We can choose to walk away from the people that are negative and resentful.

A little reminder. (Source: Giphy)

Body

Same as your mind, your body is NOT going anywhere that you are not going. It will be with you through your whole life.

So you got to take care of it as your most valuable real estate.

It’s so funny, people talk about how getting into the business of real estate and having passive income (??), does not really take care of themselves in the terms of their physical health.

Being fit will open doors that you cannot even imagine.

The way you hold yourself will change. The way you speak. Your self-confidence.

So, what can we do?

Taking 10000 steps a day might be a good start. No no no, that’s not even true. Walking to the places that you would normally take elevator might be a good start.

Even smaller step, just measure how many physically active hours are in your daily life.

How much calories do we averagely consume? How much of it is sugar, especially fructose?

From that point, we can improve incrementally.

A wonderful summary (Source: Tracy Tang)

Spirit

The best way I know to improve my spiritual health is by doing that I found meaningful.

That can be very subjective. But I believe, it leads to some good in the world, generally speaking.

We can do a list like:

  • Volunteering. Helping others (News Alert: You can do this by making content as well.)
  • Meditating.
  • Spending time in nature.
  • Praying.

Whatever turns your crank. This one needs a little bit research because i believe it has the most differentiated choices in all the paths.

Maybe Dwight has this one figured out? (Source: Giphy)

Art

Talent is a pursued interest. In other words, anything that you are willing to practice, you can do.

Playing an Instrument, writing poems or making animations.

A different way of expressing oneself.

It’s an unique attribute that only small number of people has.

(Source: Giphy)

Money

It is simply a tool. It will allow us to have easier lives.

Weirdly enough, people that actually able to become rich are not directly chasing a 6 figure bank account.

They are simply trying to make something valuable for other people, provide a service. Solve a problem for someone.

Big lesson in there.

So. Why is this important? This “bebetter” Pentagon.

Because it will lead to a better life.

For us and everyone around us.

One thing that was taught in Communication Theory classes was Nodes in a Network ( Oh, the undergrad days for me).

Simply, we are all nodes in a network.

(Source: Giphy)

The more we improve our lives, the effect we have on others improve incrementally.

That may or may not lead to being loved at 70, like Warren Buffett said.

Who knows.

My pentagon gave me things that I never could’ve dreamed for.

What will yours give you?

Take care.

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