Recently, I got “Jack’d” by Jack Daly. If you’ve never heard him speak, check him out. In his seventies, he is full of non-stop energy and shares some of his success strategies. One idea that really stuck with me: Success is in the palm of your hand. It’s a simple but powerful reminder that I have the tools for achievement with me every day—literally at my fingertips.
Curious? I don’t think Jack will mind if I share my takeaways on how each finger tells a story about success.
👍 The Thumb – Thumbs Up
Putting your thumb up is the universal sign of positivity and encouragement. I remember giving Alex the thumbs up while he was doing things to encourage him to keep going. Success starts with attitude.
A thumbs-up attitude keeps me moving forward and hopefully encourages those around me. No doubt I get frustrated and down but, in those moments, sometimes just putting my thumb up, even when I don’t feel like it, helps. I believe this positivity is contagious and sets the tone for everything else.
👉 The Index Finger – Know the Direction
Your index finger points the way. Success requires knowing your direction and destination. If you don’t know where you’re headed, any road will do. Sooo many people can no longer get from Point A to Point B without their smartphone; they’ve lost their sense of direction. It’s scary how easily some people get lost without it. Be sure to take the time to chart your course and paint a clear picture of your goals.
For me, it would be so easy to let inertia take over and go through each day without any specific goal or purpose. I believe everyone needs a purpose or a goal-big or small. It’s figuring yours out that can be the real challenge. Now that Alex is in college, I have a little more head space again to think about what some of my current goals are, so that I can figure out my next direction.
🖕 The Middle Finger – Give Fear the Finger
Let’s be honest—the middle finger has its reputation and my parents taught me never to use it. In this context, as Jack put shared, it’s about giving fear the finger. Success requires moving past doubts and discomfort. Growth only happens when you step into the uncomfortable, so get used to it. Fear will always be there, but it doesn’t get to drive.
I love this! There have been so many times in my life where fear could have stopped me, but I just pushed through. Not in some big heroic way, but in the “I’m afraid of what’s there in the dark but I’m going to go outside anyway” kind of way. Ask me sometime about when we moved to Randolph and our daunting driveway in the dark or the sleepless nights when I first launched IT Radix.
💍 The Ring Finger – Go Forth and Do Something
Action is key. The ring finger reminds us to commit. As Jack said, “ideas, plans, and dreams only matter if you act on them.” So I say, go forth and do something! That’s where progress happens.
At work, I sometimes use the phrase “I’m going to push you into the pool” because I just want people to just get started with something new and somewhat unknown. I still remember the effort involved in getting Alex to just start his homework. It was exhausting but once he put his head down and began, he would often finish in less time than it took him to get started. Even if you don’t finish, you’ve taken action in the right direction.
🧑🤝🧑 The Little Finger – Sweat the Small Stuff
Details matter. The smallest finger is a reminder to sweat the small stuff—because success often comes down to the details others overlook. Saying thank you. Following through on promises. Paying attention to the small things that build trust, loyalty, and relationships. Never underestimate the power of gratitude or the power of being nice.
Jack Daly’s metaphor is simple but brilliant.
The palm of your hand is always with you. Success isn’t hidden in some secret formula—it’s already at your fingertips. The question is: are you using every finger?
