A Guide to Success, Pt.1

As I step away from my retail responsibilities and toward a more fulfilling career in the funeral service, I've been asked by the manager of the store to share with my staff, some of what I know. The things that make me so good at what I do. Pass along the knowledge so that they may someday step into my position. So, I've put together this piece for them and I thought I'd share it here as well because it not only applies to retail, but also to life in general. This is how I do what I do.....

Part One:

1. Learn from the past, and get the heck out of there!
Past mistakes should teach you to create a wonderful future; not cause you to be afraid of it. Don't carry your mistakes around with you. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones. Never Regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience. Success is not about where you are standing at any given time; it's about how much you've learned and how far you've come to get there.

2. Focus on what's truly important.
Identify what's most important to you. Eliminate as much as you possibly can of everything else. No wasted time, no fluff, no regrets.

3. Focus on being productive, not being busy.
Don't just get things done; get the right things done. Results are always more important than the time it takes to achieve them. Stop and ask yourself if what you're working on is worth the effort. Is it bringing you in the same direction as your goals? Don't get caught up in odd jobs, even those that seem urgent, unless they are also important.

4. Give what you want to receive.
You get the best out of others, and every situation, when you give the best of yourself. Start practicing the golden rule. If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you want money, provide value. It works and it really is that simple.

5. Stop trying to be everything to everyone.
Don't try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people. Start focusing on being everything to someone. Helping or pleasing everyone is impossible. But making one person smile at a time, can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus and be yourself.


These are the things that I do every day. You may notice that I italicized a few things "No Regrets" I have talked about before and "Be Yourself" is something that I stress to my staff daily as well. These things are key to success.

As always, I welcome your comments, let me know what you think and look for more on Wednesday.

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