The Excitement Spectrum

Imagine graphing the excitement of everything you do in a day. For most of us, the line hovers near zero. Do successful people live with wider swings?

The Idea

If we graphed the excitement level of our daily activities, most would hover near zero. Highly successful people may experience a wider range of highs and lows.

A richer life may be measured less by constant highs than by a wider range of experience, more genuine peaks and meaningful variation.

The Two Patterns

The average pattern

Most days are routine, with the excitement line hugging zero and rare spikes.

The successful pattern

Passion, opportunity, and connections may produce more frequent highs and lows.

Success is subjective, though, so the relationship depends on how one defines it.

Atomic Ideas From This Page

Most daily activities hover near a neutral excitement level.Routine tasks make up the bulk of an average person's day.
A richer life may show a wider range of experience.More genuine peaks and variation can matter more than constant highs.
Pursuing passions creates more frequent highs.Access to meaningful pursuits widens the range of daily experience.
Success is subjective and defined differently by each person.It may mean wealth, fulfillment, or strong relationships.
A fuller life may mean a wider range, not just more highs.