My grandfather passed away this summer at the age of 94.  In every sense he could be considered a successful man.  He had several performance habits that he carried through even in old age.

Use Positive Self-talk. Generally he was a very optimistic person.  My guess is that he probably had good inner self talk his entire life. As he got older you could hear these pep talks out loud.  Often walking and standing would be a struggle and you could hear him keep up a steady stream of talk under his breath: “You got it.  Just keep going. That’s the way you do it.  All right.”  He was hard of hearing and I don’t think he knew this was out loud.

Don’t Take No for an Answer. I am sure he practiced this one his entire career as a financial planner. In his late eighties, with a completely broken down knee joint, he finally found a doctor that would do a knee surgery.  The first several doctors wanted him to take pain pills and stop walking permanently.  He walked many strong years after the replacement.

Have a Mission.  He was still on a mission to revive the values of this nation’s Founding Fathers.  He was still writing letters and contacting politicians up to the end.

Take time to play.  He rarely watched TV and much preferred games.  Cards being his favorite, he played daily.  He even hosted the bridge club at his home on a regular basis.

Encourage others.  Just as he encouraged himself, he also took the time to encourage others.  In one of our last phone conversations, he said “I always knew you would be an entrepreneurial success.  Just keep going.”

Have a routine. Most days he had someplace to be: church, Kiwanis or bridge.  He was always had something next for which he was planning.

Life is full of challenges and the challenges continue even in old age. Consistent application of performance habits will enhance our lives at any age.

What are some of your key performance habits?