--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's almost as if the most successful…" description: "\"It's almost as if the most successful people don't put too much effort into being so brilliant at what they do, that they're just doing extraordinary t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/ron-mael-5107_effort_it-s-almost-as-if-the-most-successful-pe_460868.png" --- # It's almost as if the most successful people don't put too… ![“It's almost as if the most successful people don't put too much effort into being so brilliant at what they do, that they're just doing extraordinary things. The truth, however, is they're putting more and more effort into maintaining their levels of excellence.” quote by Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/ron-mael-5107_effort_it-s-almost-as-if-the-most-successful-pe_460868.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/ron-mael-5107_effort_it-s-almost-as-if-the-most-successful-pe_460868.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/ron-mael-5107_effort_it-s-almost-as-if-the-most-successful-pe_460868.png) > “It's almost as if the most successful people don't put too much effort into being so brilliant at what they do, that they're just doing extraordinary things. The truth, however, is they're putting more and more effort into maintaining their levels of excellence.” [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellence requires ongoing effort, not just talent. **In simple terms:** Effort sustains brilliance. Key Takeaway Invest continuously in skill. Themes excellence effort mastery Mood determined inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - creative projects - sports training Key Concepts deliberate practice continuous improvement Questions to Reflect On - What daily habits sustain your excellence? - How do you measure progress? A Different Perspective Effort alone may not guarantee success without talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-extraordinary-668499/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Effort Maintaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort-maintaining-4003662/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Levels Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels-excellence-4003663/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Putting Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putting-effort-606893/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-people/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Don’t ever think you’re useless just because someone your age is doing something extraordinary. Talent differs, and so does timing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ojingiri-hannah/don-t-ever-think-you-re-useless-just-because-someone-your-age-is/) [Ojingiri Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ojingiri-hannah/) > [Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/holiness-does-not-consist-in-doing-extraordinary-things-it-consists/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [“I'd rather be an ordinary person doing extraordinary things, than being an extraordinary person doing ordinary things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-g-ortiz/i-d-rather-be-an-ordinary-person-doing-extraordinary-things-than/) [Kenneth G. Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-g-ortiz/) > [Any side that wins 21 out of 22 rounds is clearly doing something extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimiliano-allegri/any-side-that-wins-21-out-of-22-rounds-is-clearly-doing-something/) [Massimiliano Allegri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimiliano-allegri/) > [Ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things, and that's what it's all about. They must count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/ordinary-people-are-capable-of-doing-extraordinary-things-and-that-s/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [I am just an actor, and this is my job. What I am doing is not extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nithya-menen/i-am-just-an-actor-and-this-is-my-job-what-i-am-doing-is-not/) [Nithya Menen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nithya-menen/) > [I did make some money, the first money that I ever made, doing this last one, and it's an extraordinary feeling just being given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-roy/i-did-make-some-money-the-first-money-that-i-ever-made-doing-this/) [Duncan Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-roy/) > [I found myself doing extraordinary things that arent in the textbooks. Then the IMF asked the U.S. to please print money. The whole world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gideon-gono/i-found-myself-doing-extraordinary-things-that-arent-in-the-textbooks/) [Gideon Gono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gideon-gono/) > [There's ordinary people out there doing extraordinary things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/there-s-ordinary-people-out-there-doing-extraordinary-things/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [I'm not interested in superheroes. What about normal people doing extraordinary things?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-beaufoy/i-m-not-interested-in-superheroes-what-about-normal-people-doing/) [Simon Beaufoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-beaufoy/) > [I can say Lampard has been doing an extraordinary job with Chelsea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hansi-flick/i-can-say-lampard-has-been-doing-an-extraordinary-job-with-chelsea/) [Hansi Flick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hansi-flick/) > [Great businesses are not built by extraordinary people but by ordinary people doing extraordinary things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerber/great-businesses-are-not-built-by-extraordinary-people-but-by/) [Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerber/) > [You don't have to be rich and famous. You just have to be an ordinary person, doing extraordinary things. I'd like more people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-armatrading/you-don-t-have-to-be-rich-and-famous-you-just-have-to-be-an-ordinary/) [Joan Armatrading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-armatrading/) > [It's kind of a misnomer about science fiction that science fiction is about anything other than people. It's about people doing stuff, sometimes doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/it-s-kind-of-a-misnomer-about-science-fiction-that-science-fiction-is/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [“Fantastic accomplishments seem like something unattainable and everyone doing the extraordinary seems to be unlike you until YOU do something amazing. Then you realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ember/fantastic-accomplishments-seem-like-something-unattainable-and/) [Sally Ember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ember/) ## More by Ron Mael > [Even before we had a band, the merging of music and movies just seemed so perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/even-before-we-had-a-band-the-merging-of-music-and-movies-just-seemed/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [I can't say it wasn't fun in the 70s having screaming people in the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/i-can-t-say-it-wasn-t-fun-in-the-70s-having-screaming-people-in-the/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [Having more people accepting what you're doing - that's the kind of limelight we really cherish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/having-more-people-accepting-what-you-re-doing-that-s-the-kind-of/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [We just thought that bands from the U.S. in general were just really boring, and they didn't represent what we felt pop music should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/we-just-thought-that-bands-from-the-u-s-in-general-were-just-really/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [When things are sequenced really hard, it has an effect similar to the one power chords had in the '70s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/when-things-are-sequenced-really-hard-it-has-an-effect-similar-to-the/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [I'm so happy that the first time Russell and I saw 'Annette' with an audience was at the Cannes Film Festival, and even more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/i-m-so-happy-that-the-first-time-russell-and-i-saw-annette-with-an/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [We detested folk music because it was cerebral and sedate and we had no time for that. But the Byrds were OK because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/we-detested-folk-music-because-it-was-cerebral-and-sedate-and-we-had/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [Of course everybody wants to be filthy stinking rich. But we've seen the effect that having that kind of massive success has had on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/of-course-everybody-wants-to-be-filthy-stinking-rich-but-we-ve-seen/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [People have told me repeatedly of how scared they were of seeing me on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/people-have-told-me-repeatedly-of-how-scared-they-were-of-seeing-me/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [We kind of have a cranky side of ourselves, so when people get upset about what we're doing, we kind of feel that we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/we-kind-of-have-a-cranky-side-of-ourselves-so-when-people-get-upset/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [There aren't enough people fighting for being conservative with your sexual tastes. There's a little too much adventuresome stuff going on, so it's good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/there-aren-t-enough-people-fighting-for-being-conservative-with-your/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [There is something encouraging about the rebellious spirit of the Internet. It's like the modern equivalent of punk - anyone can make a record.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/there-is-something-encouraging-about-the-rebellious-spirit-of-the/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [We're not trying to be esoteric. There is that about what we do, but we like to be there at the table with everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/we-re-not-trying-to-be-esoteric-there-is-that-about-what-we-do-but-we/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [In a personal way, we like to irritate by just staying around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/in-a-personal-way-we-like-to-irritate-by-just-staying-around/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [We already tried writing musicals. Sometimes that failure can become a cause for us. We had so much passion for the idea of doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/we-already-tried-writing-musicals-sometimes-that-failure-can-become-a/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) [Explore all 103 Ron Mael quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) ## More Effort quotes > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [Now I try to make efforts, you know, I'm just, the best effort I can do is just stay sober myself. I can at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/now-i-try-to-make-efforts-you-know-i-m-just-the-best-effort-i-can-do/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) > [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Im tired, tired of putting more effort than you do. Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is for the superfluous we sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-for-the-superfluous-we-sweat/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I love a pocket. I'm about helping women look as good as possible on the least amount of effort. I want versatility and comfort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-mccartney/i-love-a-pocket-i-m-about-helping-women-look-as-good-as-possible-on/) [Stella McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-mccartney/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit coming to us free of charge to enable you to do with ease what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/grace-is-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-coming-to-us-free-of-charge-to/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) [Dayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dayana/) > [I should have liked to get married, but over many decades I have lived essentially alone. I go to sleep when I'm tired, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-should-have-liked-to-get-married-but-over-many-decades-i-have-lived/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) [Browse all 8,602 Effort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's almost as if the most successful people don't put too much effort into being so brilliant at what they do, that they're just doing extraordinary things. 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