( An excerpt from The Power of Positive Habits, Habit #53 ) 

Years ago while speaking at a leadership conference in Dallas, I looked over to the left and saw Zig Ziglar sitting there in the front row. Zig was the iconic, legendary speaker who impacted millions of lives and careers. He’s famous for saying, “If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want,” and “Some people are so good at complaining you’d think they were getting paid for it,” and “I’ll see you at the top.” I ran over to him and said, “Zig, I can’t believe you’re here. One of my goals in life was to meet you.”

He replied, “You need to have bigger goals.” He was still sharp and funny after all these years. While I was speaking I noticed he was taking notes. It wasn’t because I was on stage; anyone could have been on stage and he would have taken notes. At 82 years old he was a lifelong learner, and still humble and hungry after all these years. He only lived a few years after that but the lesson he taught me lives on. Whether you’re just starting out and trying to make a name for yourself or you have achieved the pinnacle of success, it’s important to remember to be humble and hungry. These two words are the key to a life and career of continuous improvement and growth.

Be Humble

• Don’t think you know it all. See yourself as a lifelong learner who is always seeking ways to learn, grow, and improve.
• See everyone as a teacher and learn from everyone you meet.
• Be open to new ideas and strategies to move your life and work to the next level.
• Live with humility because the minute you think you’ve arrived at the door of greatness, it will get shut in your face.
• As C. S. Lewis said, “Humility doesn’t mean you think less of yourself. It just means you think of yourself less.”
• Realize there is no finish line. Keep growing till the end.

Be Hungry

• Have a great desire to continuously learn, improve, grow, and dream.
• Seek out new ideas, new strategies and new ways to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
• Invest the time, energy, sweat, and dedication to be your best.
• Be willing to pay the price that greatness requires. Don’t be average. Strive to be great.
• Become the hardest worker you know.
• Make your life and work a quest for excellence. Every day ask myself, “How I can be better today than I was yesterday?”
• Make your next work your best work.

Lead Positive,

Jon