The Success Habit: A Father’s Day Message

What follows is a file I found lying around the office.

It's a bit Norman Vincent Peale-ish, and may be controversial to some, but it is how I've gotten what success I have in life, and I thought Father's Day would be a good time to post it.

Enjoy.

There is one sure way to success. No matter what your talents, or lack of talent, there is one sure way to get what you want.

It's a habit. The success habit. (Well, it's more important than that. The Success Habit. There.)

When you know something needs doing, get on it right away. Don't wait to be asked. Don't play first. Don't think, I can do it later. Don't plan on later.

Do first.

The task may be hard, it may be painful, but start right away.

If you don't know how, try first, then ask someone. Tell them what you did, ask what to do next. Then do that.

People like being asked how. It makes them feel important, and needed. It tells them the person asking is “on the ball,” that they are interested.

This habit works everywhere. It works in school. It works at home. It works at work. Try, then ask how. Asking how to do something is specific. People give better answers to specific questions, and they give the best answers to someone they believe tried first.

Don't wait until you're at the job you most want to get the success habit. Get it now. Make it a habit before you need it.

There is a good reason why many people don't have this habit. They're afraid. They're afraid of doing something wrong if they try without understanding. They're afraid the person they ask will be angry. They're nervous, or shy. It's hard to do, if it's not a habit.

But look around you. Every successful person you see has the habit. Every single one.

Besides, people like being asked specific questions. Questions they can answer. They really do. And they like the people who ask such questions.

Teachers call these people good students, even if they are not bright. Employers call them good workers, even if they are not perfect. The habit shows you're trying. People in authority like to see people trying. It makes them think they're good at what they do, which is instilling the success habit.

Knowing what you want is half the battle of life. The other half is the Success Habit. People who try, then ask how, get ahead. Those who are afraid to try, and don't ask questions, never learn. They don't want to be lazy, but that's what people will say about them.

If you have not learned the Success Habit yet, it is not too late. It will be harder to learn it now than it would have been when you were younger. But you can still learn it.

Do. Try. Ask. It sounds simple. It may even sound stupid. But it works. Making a habit out of it will make you successful. Failing to make a habit of it will make you a failure.