Words to Live By
Dad's 20 Rules for Success
A July 20, 1987, letter from Dad to Greg during Greg's mission in Japan.
"You ask what contributes to success in business. Basically, I feel these rules would apply to nearly any success, when other people are involved."
July 20, 1987
Knowledge — nobody likes to deal with a dummy.
Enthusiasm — this is probably the key ingredient. Your mother is a very good example of these two concepts.
Honesty — never cut a corner or be less than straightforward. It pays dividends beyond immediate rewards.
Diligence — keep trying, trying, trying. If at first you don't succeed, keep trying until you do or realize you must change your approach.
Be flexible. Just because we hold a certain viewpoint does not mean we cannot tolerate others and listen to their perspective. Many times your own viewpoint changes or is strengthened by listening to theirs.
Study your task, become so familiar with your goal, your obstacles, paths, alternatives and motivations that you can respond positively and immediately.
Study yourself, hardest thing to objectively do. None of us are perfect, none! Know your strengths and use them. Avoid your weak areas like the plague. Some would say overcome them. I think the only way to overcome personal weakness is to avoid the pitfalls which each of us have.
Be prayerful, always. After all man can do, it is by Grace that we are saved and made capable of the task before us.
Live the commandments. One of the greatest challenges is to see others doing well who do not live the commandments. In most cases they don't know or understand them. Our challenge is that we have been given knowledge and it is to our own damnation if we do not enlarge upon it and be obedient. I testify to this personally.
Be true to your loved ones and friends.
Practice, practice, practice — none of us are as good as we can become.
Work as hard as you know how and are capable of.
Set goals and define your path to the goal.
Get as much education as you can! I think you should consider going for a PhD rather than an MBA. If you will, and hustle your schedule, your mother and I will pay the tuition. I do not have enough education, I wish, but it is too late, that someone would have pointed me upward in this regard.
Remember the second commandment, always!
Marry the right kind of girl and do so in the temple.
Don't have any red headed kids, especially boys, they fleece you easily and too frequently!
Be humble in your successes!
Accept your church callings and do your best in them!
Support and sustain those in authority over you, I testify this is extremely important!