The (twenty five) Golden Rule(s) of achieving success

There’s no formula to doing well. In fact, nobody does well all of the time. On the other hand, there are some things you can do to ensure you maximize your chances of doing well.  The more you do, the better of you might be. But you don’t need all of them. Maybe not even most of them. Also, you can’t MAKE some of them happen on your own.  In fact, you may not even want to try some of them because it would be out of character for you.

Either way, these are some things I’ve seen work for a pretty good number of people. Without further ado, here is the list.

  1. Have a WILDY IMPORTANT GOAL and work on it daily
  2. Spend time with people that will be very successful – they say you’re an average of the 5 people you spend the most time with
  3. Find someone in college (or business school) who makes it big, and become friends
  4. Be born with a unique talent, that nobody else has.
  5. Start practicing a skill, sport, or talent when you are five years old (think Tiger Woods)
  6. Network your way to the top. Go to as many events as you can until you meet a critical mass of people
  7. Do a really good job at work and earn the promotions that get you to the top
  8. Work on important projects that nobody else wants to take on (due to fear)
  9. Do a good job a promoting yourself and your work. Get noticed by the people that count.
  10. Work harder than anyone you know
  11. Work on a lot of things at the same time to gain a lot of different but valuable skills
  12. Work on one thing and learn to do it REALLY REALLY well- better than anyone else
  13. Study and work when everyone else is going out and having fun
  14. Go out and have fun and maintain a happy health attitude that attracts a lot of customers and supporters
  15. Be lucky!
  16. Inherit a large sum of money and invest in your own venture
  17. Jump from company to company, or startup to startup, until you find the right one
  18. Stay at your company for many years to gain access to its most important work, like many Fortune 500 CEOs
  19. Tell great stories that make people listen to you and your work
  20. Give credit to other people, then they will enjoy working with you and giving you more credit
  21. Be tall and good looking (it has worked for past Presidents)
  22. Once you achieve your WILDLY IMPORTANT GOAL, find another one
  23. Have a high degree of persistence, live by the motto, “survive and advance” when necessary
  24. Live by the motto, Done is better than perfect. Sometimes you just have to get things done
  25. Sometimes, things need to be done really WELL. Be thorough. Avoid typos and easy mistakes.
In sum, there is not single formula for success. But some things do work pretty well. At times, it just depends on the time and place.
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 Business School

2 Comments to The (twenty five) Golden Rule(s) of achieving success

[…] The (Twenty Five) Golden Rule(s) of Achieving Success by Jeremy C. Wilson […]

[…] The (Twenty Five) Golden Rule(s) of Achieving Success by Jeremy C. Wilson  “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.” – John Maxwell […]

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Jeremy C Wilson is a JD-MBA alumni using his site to share information on education, the social enterprise revolution, entrepreneurship, and doing things differently. Feel free to send along questions or comments as you read.

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The contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect the views or position of Kellogg, Northwestern Law, the JD-MBA program, or any firm that I work for. I only offer my own perspective on all issues.
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