Trump: How to Get Rich

Homework Is Required and There Will Be a Test

People who think achieving success is a linear A-to-Z process, a straight shot to the top, simply aren’t in touch with reality. There are very few bona fide overnight success stories. It just doesn’t work that way.

Success appears to happen overnight because we all see stories in newspapers and on TV about previously unknown people who suddenly become famous. But consider a sequoia tree that has been growing for several hundred years. Just because a television crew one day decides to do a story about that tree doesn’t mean it didn’t exist before.

In 1955, Glenn Gould, the classical pianist from Toronto, rocketed to international fame by recording Bach’s Goldberg Variations. He was young and unusual, but he had already been practicing the piano for close to twenty years. He may have seemed like an overnight sensation to the general public, but anyone who’s been working at something for twenty years isn’t likely to agree with that assessment.

I have to admit that my knowledge of classical music is limited, but from what little I’ve read on the subject, I know that the process of becoming a classical musician is a long and demanding one. The amount of practice hours required to master an instrument is astounding, and also never ending. How do they do it? I’m not sure, but I would guess that passion plays a large part.

Every industry and profession has its bottom line for what is required to succeed. If you can’t stand to practice every day, being a musician is out of the question. If you hate to exercise, being an athlete is not for you.

In business—every business—the bottom line is understanding the process. If you don’t understand the process, you’ll never reap the rewards of the process. You’ll never last long enough to achieve your overnight success.

Part of the process is doing your homework. You have to know what you’re getting into first. That was one of my father’s strongest beliefs. We’ve all heard the phrase You’re barking up the wrong tree. It brings to mind a funny image, but in reality it can be embarrassing. Not doing your homework can result in something analogous, so do a few things first to avoid this.

We can learn from our mistakes, but it’s better to learn from our successes. When I hear people say, Well, it was an interesting experience, I can usually safely assume they are referring to something that didn’t work out the way they’d planned. I don’t find my goof-ups to be amusing or interesting.

Can you imagine hearing a surgeon say, Well, it didn’t go quite right, but I sure learned a lot? I wouldn’t want that guy operating on me. The same applies to anyone in business, because if you’re in business, it’s not just your money involved, but very often the money and well-being of others as well. In my business, I can’t take chances. If something is not quite right with the design or construction of a superstructure, a lot of people could be injured or killed. I’ve got to know what’s going on. Bottom line, it will be my responsibility.

People see the finished product. Wow, a skyscraper! What goes into it is another story. Construction isn’t glamorous. It’s a serious and often dangerous endeavor. Fortunately, I understood this from my earliest days in the business, so there’s a certain gravity in my approach to the construction of any building.

That’s where having learned to do my homework comes in handy. It’s a necessary requirement, not an extracurricular course to enhance my productivity. Not only do I have to know exactly what I’m doing, but I’ve also got to make sure I find contractors who know exactly what they’re doing as well. That’s why I’m tough on them, and that’s why I’m equally tough on myself. A lot of lives are at stake in our work. We don’t want any interesting experiences!

We all know what it’s like to pretend to study. There are some courses in school that just don’t hold your attention. If you are choosing a career, keep that in mind. What most holds your attention?

Consider a pyramid. Did you ever notice how large and solid the foundation is? Did you notice the carefully graduated levels that eventually lead to the pinnacle? Now turn the pyramid upside down. That’s a representation of topsy-turvy thinking. You don’t start at the top. You start with the foundation—the stronger, the better.

The world moves along at such a fast clip that we have little patience when things are slow, whether it’s the line at a supermarket or Internet access. We’ve become intolerant of those things that cannot be accelerated or skipped entirely. I can’t speed up the foundation work for a building, nor can I expect to play piano like Glenn Gould just because I want to.

Know the limitations as well as the possibilities of everything you do. Find out as much as you can yourself about what you plan to do, and don’t expect anyone to act as your favorite grandmother in wanting what’s best for you. Most people want what’s best for themselves, not for you. If those people have already spent a great deal of effort on their homework, why should they share it with you?