The Crocodile Hunter Who Saw the Future

"You know, I smell ducks," Steve Irwin told his then-girlfriend Terri as they were leaving a restaurant.

Sure enough, just a few minutes later they spotted a flock of ducks. Terri was impressed by his “6th sense”.

Later, Terri learned the trick: "‘I smell ducks’ was a Crocodile Dundee trick that had nevertheless worked its magic." Terri was charmed by Steve in the same way we suspend disbelief with magic tricks or horror movies.

This little trick alluded to Steve's hidden strength — preparation.

A year or so later, the first 2 episodes of "Crocodile Hunter" enjoyed success in Australia, but it would be years until they saw any serious financial gains.

Still, one night Steve sat Terri down to discuss their future.

"When we start to make a quid out of Crocodile Hunter, we need to have a plan," he explained. After some discussion, the couple agreed that 100% of the money from the show would be used for wildlife conservation. They would live off of their salaries at the zoo alone.

The Irwins used their money, fame, and power as tools to further their Life's Task: wildlife conservation.

There are two clear lessons here:

1. Entertainment and success are equal parts adaptability and preparation.

For example, actors memorize a script so they can allow themselves to improvise. Without learning the story in its entirety, they won’t know what they can or cannot improvise.

Likewise, Steve did have a sixth sense when it came to nature. His planning was what helped this sense shine even brighter.

Planning and improvising are complementary skills.

2. Define what success means to you, and how you will lead your life once you gain more resources.

Ryan Holiday's definition of success is a good one I refer to often:

"I don’t measure [success] in copies sold or dollars earned. I measure it in what my days look like and the quality of my creative expression: Do I have time to write? Can I say what I think? Do I direct my schedule or does my schedule direct me? Is my life enjoyable or is it a chore?

In a word: autonomy. Do I have autonomy over what I do and think? Am I free?"

Whatever success means to you, define it ahead of time so that you're not chasing the wrong thing.

Otherwise, you're playing someone else's game, so you're bound to lose.

P.S. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about Steve Irwin and it will not be the last. I read his wife’s memoir detailing their life together this year, and there were so many valuable lessons I learned from it. If you’re remotely curious about how Steve was day to day, get the book! It’s a short read and an excellent look at how he and his wife met and came to build a beautiful life together. RIP Steve Irwin.

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