Why Success Is So Rare: Zig Ziglar’s Five Gates You Must Pass

They stab you in the back
And they claim that you are not looking
But Jah have them in the region
In the valley of decision

Go down back-biter, (down back-bite)
Go down back-biter, (down back-bite)

Now you get what you want
Do you want more? (want more)
Now you get what you want
Do you want more? (want more?)

– Bob Marley

Zig Ziglar makes a deceptively simple claim early in See You at the Top:

Real success is rare not because people are incapable — but because success requires five separate conditions to all be present at the same time. Miss even one, and the chain breaks.

He also makes a quiet but brutal observation:

Each of these conditions only shows up about one-third of the time.

Which means the odds of all five lining up at once are extremely small.

This is the hidden math behind why most people never break through — even if they are talented, intelligent, and hardworking.

Let’s walk through Ziglar’s five gates.

Gate 1 — Right Environment

Before anything else can work, the environment has to support growth.

You need:

Access to opportunity – At least minimal stability – Exposure to examples of success – Some freedom of movement and choice

If your environment constantly punishes initiative, suppresses growth, or traps you in survival mode, nothing else can fully function.

This is why millions of capable people never even get a fair starting line.

Estimated odds: ~1 in 3 people are in an environment that allows upward mobility.

Gate 2 — Right Information

Opportunity alone isn’t enough — you must know what to do and how to do it.

This includes:

Skills; Models; Mentors; Education; Real, usable instruction (not just theory)

Most people never receive actionable guidance on building wealth, confidence, leadership, communication, or long-term strategy.

They’re told to “work hard” — but not taught how to build leverage.

Again: about one in three.

Gate 3 — Right Attitude

This is Ziglar’s core theme.

Even with environment and information, many people self-sabotage because of:

Low self-worth; Fear of failure; Cynicism Resentment; Learned helplessness

Your internal programming determines what you believe is possible — and you will unconsciously stop at that ceiling every time.

Ziglar says attitude doesn’t replace skill — but it decides whether skill is ever used.

Only about one-third of people with opportunity and information have the mindset to use them.

Gate 4 — Right Action

This is where most people fail even after passing the first three.

Knowing and believing still isn’t enough.

You must:

Act consistently – Push through discomfort – Apply discipline – Persist beyond emotion

Most people act sometimes.

Success requires acting systematically.

Again, only about one-third actually execute long-term.

Gate 5 — Right Timing + Persistence

Finally, even correct action must last long enough to intersect the right timing.

Markets shift.

People notice later than you expect.

Momentum takes time.

Most people quit one season before the harvest.

Ziglar teaches that this final gate is where dreams die quietly — not loudly.

The Real Math of Why Most People Never Make It

Each gate ≈ 1 in 3 chance.

So the true probability:

1/3 × 1/3 × 1/3 × 1/3 × 1/3

= 1 in 243

Only about one out of every 243 people naturally lines up all five conditions long enough to break through.

That’s why success looks rare.

It isn’t mysterious.

It’s statistical.

Why This Is Actually Good News

The beauty of Ziglar’s model is this:

You cannot control all five gates — but you can master three of them.

You can control:

Your attitude. Your actions. Your PERSISTENCE.

When you master these, you manufacture probability in your favor — even if you didn’t start with ideal environment or information.

Which is exactly what Zig Ziglar did.

Take it…easy. But take it. Now you know the math. Success also involves sacrifice, and learning to lose or be told no sometimes and how you handle it. Many gates to pass through…take it easy. You don’t have to choose to take it hard.