First Item on the How to be Successful List: Throw away the list

I have a messy desk. 

At any given time, there is bound to be at least two partially filled cups of cold coffee, snack wrappers, a spoon that once held a big mound of peanut butter, a water bottle, a dog toy, business cards, a smudge of chocolate on my keyboard, a deadline sheet, a calendar that should hang on the wall but was taken down to be written on once and never returned, note cards, a magazine and a handful of napkins.

And that’s on a good day.

I don’t rise with the sun and the first thing I do upon waking is check my phone. And while I have a devotion in the morning, I admit to sometimes kind of rushing through it if I’m running out of time. I’m not proud of this.

I drive a Jeep Wrangler, and if you look in the car, you can tell what I’ve had for lunch the week prior, ‘cause odds are good that the wrapper or bag will be on the floor or seat.

And yet, I’m doing okay. I feel pretty good about my life and my business.

And then I read these online “What Successful People Do” lists, and feel like a garbage person. A complete failure, cause pretty much most of what is on those lists don’t apply to me. AT ALL.

And I’m guessing they might not apply to a lot of you, either.

The way I see it:

Some successful people get up early.. 
Some successful people sleep in.

Some successful people only check their emails twice a day. 
Some successful people check it on the hour. Or whenever it pops up on their phone.

Some successful people make their bed. 
Some successful people leave their room a mess. (And their kitchen and their car and their desk…)

Some successful people say “no” to most projects.
Some successful people say “yes” to most projects.

Some successful people listen to self-help podcasts.
Some successful people would rather be attacked by wasps than listen to a self-help podcast.

Some successful people LOOK successful. 
Some successful people look like they should be on the street corner with a cardboard sign.

‘Cause, friends, the only secret to Success is that there is no secret.

The truth is what the truth is always been:

In order to succeed, you must make a great product, you must market it well, you must give extraordinary customer service, you must treat people well, and you must know how to run a business.

Focus on that, ’cause the rest is just success clickbait.