Scientist, writer and politician – Benjamin Franklin’s life is an inspiring one for everyone, regardless of their profession.

His disciplined outlook towards life and a progressive mindset to the changing times made him one of the greatest figures of not only American, but also world history. Even in today’s day and age, lessons one can learn from his life are still very relevant and can be the success mantra for your professional life. We bring to you 10 such lessons from the man’s life.

The joy of success is rendered hollow if the road to it is paved by vicious acts. In the long run, it always helps to have a personal code of conduct and live by them in the strictest way possible. Franklin had his own list of 13 virtues that he tried to emulate in his daily actions and used to keep track of how well he had been doing so. Not only does it make you a better man, but your work or business is also thrown into a good light.

We all know how Benjamin Franklin was skilled in different arts, professions and fields. His achievements in each of them do not arise from a disorderly life. Every hour of his day was carefully planned so as to make the optimum use of time without leaving time for unproductive frivolity. And this is a lesson that every person can do with.

Franklin was a man with a charming tongue and great diplomatic skills – and these are what make for smooth conversations and transactions. If you read his autobiography, you will come across various occasions when this skill helped him out. In fact, it can even help you turn your enemies around and make them your friends instead – according to Franklin.

One of Benjamin Franklin’s oft-quoted mantra is “Well done is better than well said”. And that applies to every trade, not just politics. There has been many spins on this motto – like “A little less conversation, a little more action please”. All goes down to say that even though you need a silver tongue, it is better to invest your energy in working than flapping your gums about working.

Another highly quoted Ben Franklin quote is “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today”. Undoubtedly, one of the best mottos to apply to your work-life is this. Work has a way of piling up and overwhelming you – and if he had given in to procrastination, he would probably not have achieved all that he did.

If you have never made a pros and cons list to make an important decision, you should start. Whether it is expanding your business, promoting a certain employee or even taking a mortgage – making such a list helps you arrive at a solution faster. And who should be the one to have first brought this into effect but Franklin himself?

Entrepreneurial success is more than just luck – it is pure hard work, tenacity and never giving up in face of obstacles. And when Benjamin Franklin said, “Diligence is the mother of good luck”, this is what he meant. An unwavering decision to stick by his work and values led him to become one of the founding fathers of USA – and it can work wonders for everyone.

Benjamin Franklin became a pioneer in demographic studies at a time when it was still new. He was anyway making his personal notes on the population growth in the 1740s – and he took the opportunity of a study in the matter. Centuries later, we still remember him for his discoveries. Being an opportunist and making the most of your chances will help you grow professionally by leaps and bounds.

Another huge lesson that can be learnt from the American scientist’s life is not to get disheartened about failure before even trying and to make mistakes without apprehension. Only by trying something new with the risk of failure can you also find the path to success. Franklin did that with a number of his scientific discoveries – and this applies to every entrepreneur as well.

The last but not the least relevant lesson to learn from Franklin’s life is acceptance of change. Franklin brought about a colonial unity at a time when individual colonies functioned independently – and this was an important move that went to establish the geopolitical superpower that is USA now. To stick to the old is to regress – adapt yourself to the changing times to steer yourself towards success.

These are some key attributes that went into building the character of one of America’s founding fathers. Taking a leaf out of his book is almost half the battle won for the entrepreneur striving for success.