Introduction
Everyone wants to be successful. We dream of money, recognition, fame, and freedom. But very few people pause to ask: “Should I chase success directly, or should I chase excellence?”
The answer lies in a powerful line made famous by Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots:
👉 “Don’t run after success. Chase excellence, and success will jhak mar kar follow.”
This simple statement is not just movie dialogue. It’s a life philosophy that separates short-term achievers from long-term legends. Let’s dive deeper into what it means, with real-world examples and lessons you can apply today.
What Is Success?
Success is usually defined by external rewards:
- Money 💰
- Fame 🌟
- Recognition 🏆
- Job title / position 👔
- Followers & popularity 📱
Success feels good, but it often depends on factors outside your control. You can get lucky, you can copy others, or you can use shortcuts. But if you haven’t built a strong foundation, success will be temporary.
Example:
A student who memorizes for exams may score high marks (success), but without true understanding, those marks won’t help in the real world.
What Is Excellence?
Excellence means being truly good at what you do — building mastery, delivering value, and constantly improving. It’s about internal growth and quality, not just external rewards.
Excellence is:
- A cricketer training daily, even when nobody’s watching.
- An entrepreneur learning sales, marketing, and leadership to build a strong business.
- A musician practicing tirelessly until every note is perfect.
Example:
Sachin Tendulkar didn’t play cricket for money. He played because he loved the game and wanted to be excellent. As a result, money, fame, and success came automatically.
Excellence vs Success: The Key Difference
Here’s a simple way to understand it 👇
| Excellence | Success |
|---|---|
| Internal → skills, growth, mastery | External → money, fame, recognition |
| You control it fully | Not always in your control |
| Lasting and compounding | Temporary if not backed by skills |
| Example: Rancho (3 Idiots) → chased learning | Example: Chatur (3 Idiots) → chased marks |
Movie Example: 3 Idiots
- Chatur (Silencer): Focused only on marks, memorization, and showing off. He chased success directly. Short-term wins, but limited growth.
- Rancho (Aamir Khan): Focused on curiosity, problem-solving, and true learning. He chased excellence. Eventually, fame, wealth, and recognition chased him instead.
👉 Lesson: If you chase success like Chatur, you may win the race today but lose in life tomorrow. If you chase excellence like Rancho, success will jhak mar kar come to you.
Why People Run After Success First
- Social pressure: Parents, relatives, and society push us to get marks, jobs, salaries.
- Instant gratification: Social media shows fast fame & overnight riches.
- Fear of missing out (FOMO): Seeing peers achieve material success makes us impatient.
But shortcuts never lead to greatness.
Why Running After Excellence Works
- Excellence builds strong roots. Skills, knowledge, and mastery can’t be taken away.
- Excellence attracts opportunities. People naturally trust and respect someone who is world-class.
- Excellence creates lasting success. Unlike shortcuts, excellence compounds with time.
Example:
Steve Jobs was obsessed with product excellence at Apple. He focused on design, innovation, and customer experience. Because of this, Apple became one of the most successful companies in the world.
How to Stop Running After Success (Practical Steps)
- Focus on skills, not results.
- Daily ask: What did I learn today? What skill got sharper?
- Measure value, not money.
- Instead of “How much did I earn?” ask “How many lives did I impact?”
- Build processes, not shortcuts.
- Shortcuts give fast results but fade. Processes build mastery.
- Be patient.
- Excellence compounds slowly, but once success comes, it stays.
More Real-Life Examples
- APJ Abdul Kalam: Focused on excellence in science. Later became “People’s President.”
- Virat Kohli: Focused on fitness & batting discipline. Success (captaincy, fame) followed.
- Dhirubhai Ambani: Focused on business innovation and systems. Success built Reliance into a global empire.
Conclusion
Running after success is tempting — everyone wants quick wins. But success without excellence is like a weak building without a foundation: it collapses.
When you run after excellence — learning, improving, mastering your craft, delivering value — success becomes unavoidable.
👉 Remember this:
- Run after success → You may or may not get it.
- Run after excellence → Success will jhak mar kar run after you.
So stop asking, “How can I get success fast?”
Start asking, “How can I become excellent today?”
Because excellence is permanent. And success is just its shadow.