90 in 90: Chris Locke, Lang Development Group

#10: Nothing is better than hard work

The people who succeed are not the smartest or the most talented. The people who succeed are those who never quit, who show up during times of adversity, roll up their sleeves and get the job done every day.

Chris Locke | PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE TABELING

The satisfaction is in the actual work, in the journey of the work. The satisfaction that YOU did it.

#9: Life is a basketball game

Your life is broken up into four quarters just like a basketball game. The first quarter is your life age 0 to 20, you are trying to figure it all out. It’s confusing, you are not quite sure what role you are playing. But you are young and eager.

The second quarter is your age from 21 to 40. The game is starting to make some sense, you want to have a lead by the time you go into the locker room. The third quarter is your age from 41 to 60. This is the most pivotal quarter. You want to be strong and end the  quarter with a lead. Your fourth quarter is 61 to 80. If you have played the first three quarters the right way then this should be the quarter you are enjoying the most. You are doing alley oops, slam dunks and waving to the crowd. Enjoy the game, play to win and play hard because you never know when the coach may take you out of the game.

#8: Have style

Respect yourself. Walk with confidence but not with arrogance. Be a leader in the way you present yourself. If you respect yourself, others will respect you. Don’t go to work like you just came from the gym.

Dress to Impress. You are a grown up. Act like one.

#7: Depression is a real thing

Don’t minimize what you, your family and friends are going through. Be empathetic to yourself and to your loved ones. Learn to listen. If you are struggling, do not suffer in silence.

You will not be successful if you are not mentally healthy.

#6: God closes one door and opens another

No matter how dire a situation may seem at the time, it is not your final chapter, it will not define you unless you allow it to. You have so many chapters to write. A failed business, a termination, a mistake should be a learning opportunity for you to grow. Through the course of history, people of great failure became people of great success.

#5: A Man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man

A famous line from “The Godfather” by Don Corleone.

Respect your family. Always put them first. The time you spend with your children and your spouse is the most important time. 

Believe me, I learned this the hard way. I regret the times I didn’t have and wish I could have more time with each of them today.

#4: Be a big fish in a small pond

Best piece of business advice I ever received was from my 8th grade educated grandfather. He was a lifelong New Yorker but saw the benefit of  doing business in Delaware.

The Delaware Way is real and it can benefit anyone if you follow one rule: honor your name and honor those you do business with.

#3: No man is a failure who has friends

A famous line from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” No matter what success you have, if you can’t share your blessings with friends, then what is the point of it all?

If you are successful, you have an obligation to help your fellow person and community. You are obligated to help those who want to be successful too.

#2: Listen to your better half

Whoever that may be in your life. Listen to them even if it hurts. They have your best interest at heart, even when you don’t. They will see the situation in a different light than you.

After all, they chose YOU to spend the rest of their life with so they must be pretty smart.

#1: Be super excited by life

Don’t go through life with an Eeyore mentality. Be Winnie-the-Pooh. Grab life and enjoy it. Be super excited about all the new adventures that life brings at you. 

If you smile the world will smile back at you. You can be anything in life but the most important thing is to be happy and enjoy the game. You only have four quarters and you never know when the coach will take you out.

Chris Locke is the senior general counsel, vice president of Lang Development Group and founder of SL24.