Success is 90% Programming and 10% Effort. If your programming is faulty, your effort won’t yield much. Now, let me explain what I mean by programming.
Programming is the internal operating system that determines how you process information, make decisions, relate with money, handle opportunities, and respond to setbacks. It’s the sum total of your beliefs, values, mental models, and the frameworks through which you interpret reality.
And here’s the sobering truth: you can work so hard and for long hours weekly with faulty programming and stay exactly where you are. Meanwhile, someone with the right programming can work half those hours and build something that compounds.
I’ve watched this play out over and over again in my years of mentoring younger creative/tech entrepreneurs. I’ve seen insanely talented people remain stuck at the same income level for years, not because they lack skill or work ethic, but because their internal programming keeps sabotaging their external efforts.
And to be honest, this issue remains the biggest project I personally deal with on a regular basis asides the effort that I put into my work. It’s like what the Bible talks about being continually transformed by the renewing of one’s mind in Rom. 12:2. It’s a continuous work.
So, let me give you some examples of faulty programming:
Programming that says money is evil will cause you to unconsciously reject opportunities that could make you wealthy. You’ll charge below market rates, you’ll feel guilty when you succeed, and you’ll find creative ways to stay “humble” (read: broke).
Programming that says you must do everything yourself will prevent you from building a team, delegating effectively, or leveraging other people’s expertise. You’ll stay stuck in execution mode when you should be in strategic mode.
Programming that says comfort is the goal will make you avoid the necessary discomfort of growth. You’ll choose familiar struggles over unfamiliar opportunities. You’ll stay in your lane even when your lane is leading nowhere.
Programming that says “everyone like me struggles” will cause you to unconsciously replicate the financial patterns of your family, your community, or your peer group. You’ll hit an invisible ceiling and call it “just how things are.”
Now, here’s where people misunderstand this.
I’m not saying effort doesn’t matter. I’m saying misdirected effort is expensive. You can climb a ladder very quickly, but if it’s leaning against the wrong wall, all that hustle just got you to the wrong destination faster.
The reason I emphasize programming over effort is simple: effort is downstream from programming. Your programming determines where you point your effort, how you interpret feedback, whether you persist or quit, and what you do when you finally succeed.
Think about it. Two people can attend the same business seminar, hear the same principles, and get the same advice. One goes home and implements. The other goes home and does nothing. What’s the difference? It’s not the information. It’s the programming.
One person’s programming says, “I can do this.” The other’s says, “That works for other people, not for me.” Same information. Different programming. Completely different outcomes.
So how do you fix faulty programming?
First, you have to acknowledge it exists. Most people are running on programming they inherited from parents, absorbed from their environment, or adopted during moments of pain and failure. And they’ve never questioned it.
Second, you expose yourself to different programming. This is why I’m obsessed with reading, mentorship, and putting myself in rooms where people think differently. You can’t reprogram yourself in the same environment that programmed you in the first place.
Third, you pay attention to your patterns. If you keep hitting the same ceiling, attracting the same type of problems, or sabotaging yourself at the same stage, that’s your programming showing up. Don’t just push harder. Stop and examine what belief system is creating that pattern.
Fourth, you surround yourself with people who have the programming you want. This is not about networking for connections. This is about proximity to a different operating system. You need to be around people who think abundance is normal, who expect growth, who see opportunities where you see obstacles.
And finally, you build new programming through repetition and evidence. You can’t just think your way into new beliefs. You have to act in alignment with the programming you want, gather evidence that it works, and let that evidence rewire your internal system.
This is why I always say: the most tedious work in my journey hasn’t been client work, team management, or even business development. The most tedious work has been reprogramming myself.
Unlearning scarcity and learning abundance. Unlearning hustle for survival and learning strategic positioning. Unlearning the need to be liked and learning the courage to be respected.
Your effort matters. But it only matters if it’s pointed in the right direction by the right programming. Fix your programming first. Then your effort will compound instead of just consuming you.
I remain your BrandCore Strategist.
