8 Things Successful
Men Do
I've been in rooms with admirals in the Navy, captains of 1,100-foot container ships, and CEOs of big companies. Over time I noticed the same handful of habits across a lot of them. This is one ship engineer's observations, not research, and not every man I've met did all eight. But these came up again and again.
The video version is under ten minutes; the list is below.
1. Stay fit
The successful men I've seen are pretty fit. You don't need to be a gym bro. Lifting, running, band work or plyometrics all count. Just care about what goes into your body and what it's doing.
2. Stay groomed
This doesn't mean a Navy high-and-tight. Lumberjacks have long hair and they're pretty manly. It means caring how your face and hair look: if you have a beard or long hair, take care of it. First impressions matter, and you only get one.
3. Dress nice
You don't need a suit every day. I'm filming in a long-sleeve t-shirt. Just have some pride in what you put on, and skip the sweatpants with cartoon characters on them.
4. Have a healthy passion
If you sit on the couch all weekend watching Netflix, find a hobby: basketball, chess, cinema, a YouTube channel. Mine is YouTube, marketing, sales and editing. People with a passion tend to be more interesting to other people.
5. Learn how things work
Understand money, like why cash in a checking account loses value compared with a brokerage account. Know how to change a tire; I changed my first one about three years before filming. If a plumber comes to your house, call him, but pay attention to what he does. No one succeeds by refusing to learn anything.
6. Do more than what's asked
There's an art to it, because sometimes extra work just wastes your time. But here's my example. After college I had Tommy John surgery from pitching, and the Navy held up my license, so a buddy's dad got me a 90-day contract in Wisconsin. Right before it ended they asked me to stay three extra months, and I did. Three years later the same company called with a six-figure remote engineering job and offered it to me first. I think that call only came because I'd helped them out earlier. I've always said luck is a byproduct of consistency and discipline.
7. Make your bed
It takes a minute. When you finish something right away, you tend to finish something else, and it chains. (I don't make hotel beds, because I paid them to.)
8. Carry a pen
This one came from my dad and was reinforced in the Navy. Every successful person I've met was carrying one: a private jet company owner, an admiral, captains and chief engineers on every ship I've been on. You're ready to sign anything at any point.
What did I miss?
I'd like to know if I missed anything or if you hated the list. The comments on the video are open.
FAQ
What do successful men have in common? In my experience: fitness, grooming, some care in how they dress, a passion, curiosity, and a habit of doing a little more than asked.
Is this a scientific list? No. It's what I noticed from working around admirals, captains, chief engineers and company owners.
Keep reading
- What It's Like Working on a Ship — where most of these observations come from
- Should I Quit My Job to Pursue My Passion? — the passion habit, in practice
I'm a YouTuber in Charleston, South Carolina, and I work as an engineer on ships. These observations come from the admirals, captains and chief engineers I've worked around. More about me.
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