For every ideal outcome of X, there is a specific correct process to get there. So if you're trying to achieve X, the best way to do that is to do C, then Y, and finally T. This is an indisputable fact; there is a perfect way to do everything. We, as humans, may not be able to find this ideal path - but it does exist.
Given this, achieving this level of perfection is a measure of two variables.
- Ability: The ability to figure out the fastest/most efficient way to achieve your ideal outcome. This concept is fairly straightforward.
- Access: The ability to be able to ever achieve the perfect outcome. Access can come in various forms. Some are more tangible and easy to understand; others are more ambiguous.
- One person may have clearance to access top-secret information, while many do not have this access.
- Some folks have personal connections to others with information to accelerate understanding.
- Wisdom is another form of access, which simply takes time to develop.
- There are countless forms of access, but the core connecting theory is that some have them, and others do not.
Drawing this out, we can think of the star as the ideal outcome, the rings as access, and the length of the line ability. The distance between the end of the line and the star is your ability to achieve your desired result.
In this example, we have an extremely able person who knows the perfect thing to do, up to a point where they simply cannot achieve the ideal outcome due to their level of access. They only can go as far as they are able - outlined in green.
In this second example, we have a less able person who has access to more information than the other. This allows them to achieve roughly the same result as they could tap into additional resources that the other person did not have at their disposal.
Let me make this a little more tangible. Let's say that you are an entrepreneur and your goal is to sell 100 widgets. Your ability to sell 100 widgets is going to be dictated by two things:
- Your raw ability
- Your access to potential buyers
If you're an insane able 18 year old, you may be able to sell 50 widgets by finding the perfect buyers on the street through sheer ingenuity and tactfulness.
If you're in your 50's you can probably call a few of your contacts who are likely buyers of these widgets, and you could quickly sell 80 of your widgets. Maybe at that point, you use up all of your connections and decide 80 is close enough to 100, and you can't think of any other ways to sell the widget.
Note that an extremely able person can match someone's effectiveness who has access to some more information and resources. But a person who has significantly lower access cannot hope to compete. That's the case with our generic 18 and 50 year old. One simply has the access to people who would be looking to buy this particular widget. The other, in time, can push their level of access to new bounds.
This, however, clearly changes over time. While our 50 year old may consistently accept the ability to sell 80 widgets, our tenacious 18 year old will figure out more ways to increase their level of access over time. As their level's of access increase they will not only figure out a way to sell all 100 widgets, but they will also figure out a way to do that as efficiently as possible.