Fibonacci Sequence for success in life
The Fibonacci sequence is a pattern of numbers that defines organic growth. This sequence can be observed in animal and plant life, the human body, and can also be attributed to success in life.
Illustrated as a spiral pattern (or a series of spirals) the Fibonacci sequence is seen in such plant life as the sunflower floret and pine cone.
This pattern occurs by adding the previous number to the current one and repeating the cycle.
(1+2 =3; 3+2 =5; 5+8 =13; 8+13 =21; 13+21 =34, and so on).
A fundamental element of Sacred Geometry, the Fibonacci sequence can also be seen in the breeding habits of rabbits. A species able to mate when one month old, one pair mates and produces another pair at two months – so two pair now. They reach maturity and mate at the same rate as their parents. By the end of the 3rd month the original pair produces another pair, so now three pair. By the end of the month four, the original pair and the first pair born produce one pair each, so now five pair (1+1 =2; 2+1 =3; 3+2 =5; and so on).
Although science generally accepts this spiral pattern can be seen in certain aspects of life on earth, others take the view the Fibonacci sequence (named after Leonardo of Pisa who was known as Fibonacci) is the mathematic equation for life as a whole. It is closely linked to the Golden Ratio and has many applications.
Fibonacci retracement is a technical analysis for determining support and resistance levels. It can be applied to such practices as charting market data for the growth of stocks. We can also use the Fibonacci sequence to achieve goals and succeed in life. It’s relatively simple in theory.
The first thing to understand is that choices we make in the present will affect where we arrive in the future. By learning the lessons of the past then integrating that learning into the present we can subsequently achieve a better future.
Take relationships for example, which are made up of the sum total of interactions we have over time with people we come into regular contact . Some relationships are functional where the interaction is mutually beneficial and seemingly effortless, and signify the Fibonacci sequence working naturally. But others can be difficult to read.
These difficulties can arise from misunderstandings and disagreements but can be rectified by being able to define where the misunderstanding occurred. By coming to terms with this and being conscious of correcting the situation when it arises the relationship is in a position to balance itself. This can clear the path for better interactions in future. Let’s break it down.
Fibonacci sequence process
Previous position: Understand the past by knowing where the point of disconnect (or failure) is in a specific situation, and why it occurred.
Current position: Take that knowledge into the present. A similar challenge presents itself again – maybe in another form. By coming to terms with the past point of failure the current challenge can be overcome. If applied correctly the pattern of behaviour balances itself and clears the way for growth to occur.
Future position: The past is accounted for and learning integrated, the mind is clear to proceed to the next challenge.
Continuing to follow this principle allows for growth to become exponential, which ultimately leads to success in that aspect of life where the initial disconnect occurred. Apply the Fibonacci sequence to multiple situations and the pattern takes on a more complete shape – like that of the sunflower floret. The more complete the pattern the more complete becomes life itself.
Letting go of things no longer working allows us to fully integrate into the present and gives us the best chance of succeeding. Integrating only the best of the past into our current lives will build momentum moving into the next challenge – and the next.
Where the sequence turns up
The rabbits were Fibonacci’s own example, written in 1202 to show off a new way of calculating with the Hindu-Arabic numerals he had learned in North Africa. He would probably be surprised by how far the sequence has travelled since. Count the spirals on a pinecone and you will find 8 running one way and 13 the other. A sunflower head usually has 34 and 55, and the big ones 89 and 144. Pineapples, artichokes and romanesco broccoli follow the same rule. The reason is efficiency: placing each new seed at the golden angle from the last, about 137.5 degrees, fills the head with no gaps and no crowding. Nature is not doing arithmetic; it is doing the thing that works, and the arithmetic describes it.
The link to the golden ratio is simple to see. Divide any Fibonacci number by the one before it: 5 by 3 is 1.667, 8 by 5 is 1.6, 13 by 8 is 1.625, 21 by 13 is 1.615. The answers settle towards 1.618, the number the Greeks called phi and built into the Parthenon. Growth that follows this ratio keeps its shape as it gets bigger, which is why a nautilus shell looks the same at every size and why the spiral feels balanced to the eye.
Using it: a worked example
The process above can sound abstract, so here is how it looks in practice. Say you have a pattern of taking on too much at work, burning out, and then dropping the ball on something that matters.
Previous position. The point of disconnect is not the burnout; that is the symptom. The disconnect is the moment you said yes to the extra project because saying no felt unsafe. Name that moment precisely.
Current position. A new request lands. Because you have named the pattern, you recognise it while it is happening rather than three weeks later. You ask for a day to answer, look at what is already on the list, and say no to one thing so the new thing fits. The pattern balances.
Future position. The next request arrives and the pause is already a habit. You are not spending energy on the old lesson; it has been integrated. That energy goes into the work itself, which is where the growth shows.
Each cycle adds the previous learning to the current one. That is the sequence. The first few steps are small and feel like nothing. By the fifth or sixth, the change is obvious to everyone around you.
What it is not
It is worth being clear that the Fibonacci sequence is a pattern of growth, not a promise of it. Nothing in the numbers makes a share price rise or a relationship heal. Fibonacci retracement levels in trading work partly because enough traders watch them that they become self-fulfilling. The value of the sequence in life is the same kind of thing: it is a lens that makes a certain discipline easier to keep. Learn from the last step, carry it into this one, and let the next one be bigger. Fewer, better steps, compounding.
Related reading
The sequence is one thread in a larger pattern, which the sacred geometry overview lays out. For the same idea of integrating the past applied to the mind rather than to numbers, see how to create a vision.
