Top Five: Sorenson success tips

James Sorenson, successful businessman and philanthropist, was the richest person in Utah when he died earlier this year. Here are his five tips to success in life and business.

5. No. 1, decide and find out who you are. And what you want.

4. Focus on your most important goals. List six things you really want in life, then pare the list to three. Most of us have too many goals and all with the same value.

3. Have enthusiasm for the task. Avoid procrastination, get underway! It's easy to get off-track with distractions like television, shopping, and surfing the Internet.

2. Avoid negativism, the biggest enemy of success. People who seek the world darkly tend not to set goals. Watch out for the blame factor--it's easy to blame, easier than taking control.

1. Keep trying. Instead of saying 'I can't do it,' say, 'I can't do it yet.' Edison must have said 'yet' an awful lot.

Sorenson's final, general tip is "Recognize the limits of your control. We cannnot control everything, but we can steer our own course."