Success

Asking these questions can help you succeed, says Kind founder Daniel Lubetzky: 'Close your eyes and just think'

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Daniel Lubetzky, founder and CEO of KIND
Courtesy Kind

What's the key to success? Ask lots of questions, says Kind Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky.

Lubetzky is no stranger to building a successful business or career. He founded Kind in 2004 and spent nearly two decades building it into a business worth $5 billion, before recently launching his own investment firm and startup incubator, Camino Partners. He's also a regular guest investor on ABC's "Shark Tank."

Becoming successful requires more than just luck or timing, Lubetzky says. You need to be able to recognize when a window of opportunity to advance your career or grow your business opens, and be prepared in advance to make the most of that moment.

For Lubetzky, always being prepared means constantly learning new things and seeking advice from people who will always give you honest answers. "What's really important is that you ask a lot of questions and be extraordinarily curious," he says.

Here's how.

Put away your phone or computer for a while

The first person you should consult for advice is yourself, Lubetzky says.

"Ask a lot of questions to yourself, first and foremost, because we don't spend enough time talking with ourselves," he says, noting that distractions like smartphones and social media make it difficult to think about "what would give us the most meaning [and] what would we get the most out of."

His advice: Put away your phone or computer and "go on a long walk" so you can ask yourself important questions.

"Close your eyes and just think ... What do I want? What is important to me? What do I want to get out of life? What do I want to accomplish?" he says.

This type of practice — taking the time to reflect on your own thoughts and beliefs, and then acting on the goals you've identified for yourself — is a key habit of highly successful and mentally strong people, experts say.

And not enough people conduct those self-assessments or challenge their own beliefs, psychotherapist Jody Michael told CNBC Make It last year. Doing so can help train your brain to be ready when you take a big career leap, she added.

Pair your gut instinct with 'a lot of research'

Once you've asked yourself those probing questions, Lubetzky says, move to the next step: "Do a lot of research."

Research the best ways to achieve your version of success, from talking with knowledgeable people in your field about the best way to advance your career to crunching the numbers behind launching and growing a business. Make your decisions based on "actual information and not just [your] gut," Lubetzky says.

"I'm a person that goes a lot by the gut," he adds. "But I think you need to both listen to [your] gut and listen to the data, because otherwise you can get into a lot of trouble."

Seek out people who have already achieved the sort of success you're seeking, whether they're friends, colleagues or big-company executives you've never met. Once you're sure they'll be honest with you, ask them lots of questions.

"Surround yourself with smart people that will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear," Lubetzky says.

Seeking advice from knowledgeable people is seen as a sign of intelligence in and of itself, according to Harvard researchers.

It's also the best way to solidify your own thinking and set yourself up for success, Lubetzky says: "Be curious, and become an expert."

Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank."

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How I built KIND into a multibillion-dollar business
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How I built KIND into a multibillion-dollar business