How to succeed in life

The topic is of frequent discussion among my friends and family of how I have done so well with my life. (I'm only middle class by the way)

What I usually tell them is out of modesty and my own presence of not feeling worthy of what I do have.  However I find that I can express what I truly think better in writing that on the spot wording.

So here are some quick bullets (because I hate long drawn out explinations) on what I have found to help me most when I comes to succeeding in life.

1:  If at all possible - pick a CAREER field that you enjoy doing and is going to be in need for the next 30 years.  (IE: Medical, IT, Energy engineering, etc.)

2:  You have to be educated in some manner.  Businesses need verification on paper that you are worth what they are paying you or are going to pay you.  This is why you need to find something that will give you an educational piece of paper in you field. (IE: Certifications or a degree)

3: Keep trying even when your content. You may find a job that provides what you need, but if you keep at it there will be a company that is willing to provide you more toward what you want. But this is probably going to take awhile, so you need to be patient and willing to take some risk. Great reward usually only comes with great risk.

4: Get motivated and determined. If you half ass what you do to get a job / career, that's exactly what you'll get in return.

5: You have to control yourself and learn from your social / corporate environment. This is how your going to move up the corporate ladder. By learning what your company needs and wants you can direct your actions to support their needs and they will EVENTIALLY see and recognize this.  (I