The Six Demonic Determinants ... for Success
Not until you fully control these elements, acknowledge their power and recognize their importance, they will plague, haunt and burden. Like demons.
I ~ value
For a project to be rewarding it needs to have value to the one who undertakes it. Else it will likely be abandoned halfway, or cause serious difficulties. Value is the first determinant because without it, even a succesful finish will feel empty. It is quite difficult to get yourself really working on something for long periods of time. Humans desire to enjoy themselves continuously. There needs to be a real reward to look forward to. The first question: what will you get out of it?
II ~ scope
Even when starting something there needs to be an idea of the outcome in terms of bigness. Otherwise you'll never be sure when to finish what. Realistic expectations are indispensible. You can most often do again what you did before, but it’s far more difficult to succesfully finish something which exceeds everything you’ve done already. A healthy imagination wants to transcend, to fantasize about great things which could be done. Sometimes it’s better to devise a plan for things a little smaller and start working on them right away. The second question: what will the project entail, and when will it be completed?
III ~ prudence
The attitude you assume towards a project is third most important. We need to be deliberate, thoughtful and can't expect something to go well just because we want it so badly. There’s always a new problem coming up, but these things always come in disguise. The trick is to be able to shift the mind from the obvious ‘almost-solved’ problems, to the more hidden elements which also work against completion. The third question: what needs to be done to ensure success?
IV ~ wonder
The most easily overlooked is the element of wonder and imagination. For something to be attractive there needs to be a specialness which sets it apart from all other things. It can't be grasped directly, but makes something strangely appealing. You probably remember as a child you wanted something desperately. And even though in reality it wasn't that special, for some reason it didn't seem to matter. You totally expected something amazing, and amazement was what you got. The fourth question: will you realize something profound?
V ~ perfection
This is something to work on continuously. Perfection comes through precision, and precision is the child of structured thought. A greater perfection is always possible and at the same time never totally accomplished. It's a good idea once something is finished to ask yourself what could be done to make it perfect. Then do it. Perfection also works on an imaginary level and should be a motivational aspect; It’s the project in it’s completed and succesfully finished state. The fifth question: what level of quality do you desire?
VI ~ vigor
Nothing can be accomplished without a certain force. Beauty demands pain, but it must be reasonable. Vigor is always the other side. It is the element which limits and defines all other elements. Because of vigor you will experience value, it’s the effort you put into something which makes the reward enjoyable. Vigor defines the scope and quality level, and vigor puts brakes on the imagination and the fuel for prudence. The sixth question: how much effort will be needed on a daily basis?
I ~ value
For a project to be rewarding it needs to have value to the one who undertakes it. Else it will likely be abandoned halfway, or cause serious difficulties. Value is the first determinant because without it, even a succesful finish will feel empty. It is quite difficult to get yourself really working on something for long periods of time. Humans desire to enjoy themselves continuously. There needs to be a real reward to look forward to. The first question: what will you get out of it?
II ~ scope
Even when starting something there needs to be an idea of the outcome in terms of bigness. Otherwise you'll never be sure when to finish what. Realistic expectations are indispensible. You can most often do again what you did before, but it’s far more difficult to succesfully finish something which exceeds everything you’ve done already. A healthy imagination wants to transcend, to fantasize about great things which could be done. Sometimes it’s better to devise a plan for things a little smaller and start working on them right away. The second question: what will the project entail, and when will it be completed?
III ~ prudence
The attitude you assume towards a project is third most important. We need to be deliberate, thoughtful and can't expect something to go well just because we want it so badly. There’s always a new problem coming up, but these things always come in disguise. The trick is to be able to shift the mind from the obvious ‘almost-solved’ problems, to the more hidden elements which also work against completion. The third question: what needs to be done to ensure success?
IV ~ wonder
The most easily overlooked is the element of wonder and imagination. For something to be attractive there needs to be a specialness which sets it apart from all other things. It can't be grasped directly, but makes something strangely appealing. You probably remember as a child you wanted something desperately. And even though in reality it wasn't that special, for some reason it didn't seem to matter. You totally expected something amazing, and amazement was what you got. The fourth question: will you realize something profound?
V ~ perfection
This is something to work on continuously. Perfection comes through precision, and precision is the child of structured thought. A greater perfection is always possible and at the same time never totally accomplished. It's a good idea once something is finished to ask yourself what could be done to make it perfect. Then do it. Perfection also works on an imaginary level and should be a motivational aspect; It’s the project in it’s completed and succesfully finished state. The fifth question: what level of quality do you desire?
VI ~ vigor
Nothing can be accomplished without a certain force. Beauty demands pain, but it must be reasonable. Vigor is always the other side. It is the element which limits and defines all other elements. Because of vigor you will experience value, it’s the effort you put into something which makes the reward enjoyable. Vigor defines the scope and quality level, and vigor puts brakes on the imagination and the fuel for prudence. The sixth question: how much effort will be needed on a daily basis?
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