Don’t ask a successful person,
- “What’s your routine that makes you so successful?”
- “What food do you eat?”
- “Which college did you go to?”
- “What books do you read?”
These shallow inquiries are not the right questions. It’s like asking a successful writer, “What kind of pencil do you use?” Or asking a successful sportsperson, “What kind of socks or shoes do you wear?”
If you really need a person’s help in being successful, then ask him or her:
- “What motivates you to get up every morning, and do the things that you do?”
- “How do you motivate people around you to join your journey?”
- “What helps you make concrete decisions and focus on them even when there are a thousand distractions?”
- “What thoughts and beliefs do you have that stretch your energy to carry on even when the road is dark?”
Success is not possible by replicating “outside” tools, utilities, gear, or knowledge. Rather, identifying thought patterns, methods of deliberation, and kernels of wisdom—a person’s inner “tools”—will lead you closer to emulating that person’s success.