Lessons for sucess

Here are seven of my biggest lessons for success. Although it would have been nice to learn them earlier, I'm glad to have them in my back pocket now.

1. Collect People
I've always been a pretty good networker. I'm not overly social, but I do like interaction with interesting people, and I like to help where I can. I often meet successful people, but it takes time to establish mutual trust and interest. It wasn't until age 40 that many of the people I had known for 15+ years reached positions of power and success. Maintaining relationships with peers has brought great help in times of need and great opportunities along my journey. Cultivate relationships in a genuine and generous manner, and those people will continue to support your efforts for success.

2. Plant Seeds
Another realization I gained at 40 was the value of time--not as a commodity, but as an ally.  In my youth, I wanted to outsmart the process so I could speed the path to success. Now I use the passage of time to my advantage. Some of the most amazing things in life develop gradually. Great business models and effective marketing programs can take 3 to 5+ years to develop.  That seems too long for today's impatient millennials, but time invested becomes a barrier to entry for competitors. Looking back, I am fascinated by the way that seeds I planted unknowingly more than a decade ago now bear valuable fruit. These days, I happily use my perspective to plan for harvests decades from now.

3. The Only Approval You Need is Your Own
Early on, I constantly battled against insecurities. I needed accomplishments for reassurance and rarely felt confidence from success. I wasted time and energy being uncomfortable in my own skin. It wasn't until my first For Dummies book in 2004 that I believed my public credibility was worthy and began to relax a bit. Only when heeding a good friend's advice to simply "Decide to be confident" did the path to success become less fettered and distracted. Today I only seek my own approval and attract people who appreciate what I have to offer. The rest are welcome to look for guidance elsewhere.

More tomorrow