When most people think of Ben Franklin, they remember the kite and the lightning bolt and the discovery of electricity. What a lot of people may not know is that Ben Franklin was one of the first writers to address “self-making.” When Franklin started Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1732, he used the blank spaces between the crop data and the weather information to insert clever bits of moral and practical advice.
I (Jim Rohn) am sure you’ve heard the saying, “Fish and company start to stink in three days.” That was one of hundreds of Ben Franklin’s comments on life. Another was, “Diligence is the mother of good luck.” You know, it’s amazing how hard-working, intelligent people have all the luck!
We sometimes hear of a brand new musical group, an overnight success. They must have been in the right place at the right time… knew the right people… had a friend help them out. But if you’ve ever watched an interview with some of these folks, you’ll probably hear that their “overnight success” actually took several years! Diligence is the mother of good luck.
In addition to those witticisms, Ben Franklin gave us three principles of success that have withstood the test of time.
Number one: happiness doesn’t come from big pieces of great success but from small, daily achievements. What Mr. Franklin is saying is that we must be happy with what we’ve got when we’re in pursuit of what we really want.
Too often we say, “Oh, I’ll be happy when I just get that promotion. I’ll be happy when I just land that contract. I’ll be happy when I just have more money. I’ll be happy when I just…” Just what? You won’t be any happier when you reach your goals than you are right now. It just doesn’t work that way.
Abraham Lincoln said it best. He said, “You’ll be as happy as you make up your mind to be.” Whether you’re on your way or you’ve already gotten there, you’ll be as happy as you make up your mind to be–right now.
Being happy on the way doesn’t mean you can’t aim for great things. After all, look at everything Franklin accomplished in his lifetime. It means that big achievements come one small step at a time. It means that you’ve got to enjoy the journey. It means that you must enjoy and take pride in your little accomplishments. It means celebrating who you are becoming in pursuit of your larger goal. And it means doing so every single day.
Ben Franklin’s second principle was: life is not rigid. Within each of us lies the power to mold ourselves and our environment. It is up to each of us to begin this molding process with a final product in mind. And it is within your power to work on your goals regularly. By using your mind and your abilities, you’ll soon see how much power you have to achieve your goals. It takes little steps to build up to success.
Principle number three: success is a pleasure. If what you are doing today isn’t satisfying or gratifying, guess what! You’re really not successful. If you are not fulfilled with what you are doing today, you cannot possibly be successful. It doesn’t matter how many worldly possessions you own–how many cars, how many toys, how much money–if you are not happy with your life as it is, you cannot be successful.
I know that success is a relative term. It means different things to different people. To a school kid, success may mean a star on his latest test. To a homemaker, it probably means having a well-run household and a wonderful family. To a businessperson, it’s most likely the thrill of closing a major contract, the pride in accepting a performance bonus or being named the top-producing salesperson. But the one testimonial you will hear from all successful people is that they are happy with who they are and what they are doing. They are content, satisfied. Success is a pleasure.
What have you done today that makes this day successful? Think about it. Write it down. If at the end of each day you can jot down the things that have made it a good day, you will soon see patterns forming. This really is a good habit to get into. When you can see a pattern of pleasure, you’ll know you’re on the road to success.
So take note of Mr. Franklin’s three principles of success. Number one: big achievements come one step at a time, one day at a time. Number two: you have the power to mold your life. You can make it whatever you want. You can shape it and reshape it. And number three: success is measured through pleasure. This is the key principle. You’ve got to be happy along the way. You’ve got to learn to give yourself a pat on the back. You need to tell yourself, “I’m proud of me today!” You’ve got to learn to enjoy the process.
* Source: Leading an Inspired Life by Jim Rohn