Suggestions for Success

H. Jackson Brown Jr. once gave the following suggestions for attaining Success.

21 Suggestions for Success

1.  Marry the right person.  This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.

2.  Work at something you enjoy and that is worthy of your time and talent.

3.  Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

4.  Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

5.  Be forgiving of yourself and others.

6.  Be generous.

7.  Have a grateful heart.

8.  Persistence, persistence, persistence.

9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.

10.  Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.

12.  Commit yourself to quality.

13.  Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power, prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.

14.  Be loyal.

15.  Be honest.

16.  Be a self-starter.

17.  Be decisive even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.

18.  Stop blaming others.  Take responsibility for every area of your life.

19.  Be bold and courageous.  When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.

20.  Take good care of those you love.

21.  Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your mom proud.

I printed them off and framed them as a reminder that sometimes, it doesn't take a whole lot to become successful.  I am currently supervising graduate students who find themselves caught up in school work, practicum responsibilities, and qualifying exams.  I recently shared one of my own suggestions for success, which is also quite simple:

Do not allow yourself to get caught up in the stress of others. Be confident in your own abilities, trust that you are a capable individual, and stay focused on your present tasks.

I believe this helped me to remain relatively calm though some long days and nights of intense graduate school requirements!  I have recently defended my doctoral dissertation and used my same suggestion to overcome that last big hurdle.  

What are your suggestions for success?