Distinguish yourself. Honorary doctorate degrees are awarded to people who have excelled in their chosen field or made an outstanding contribution to their community. Honorary doctorates are awarded in subject areas relevant to the recipient's achievements. Writers, for example, receive an honorary doctorate in literature. Very successful people are creative, hard working and are willing to experiment and take risks. Cultivate these qualities if you want to soar to levels of achievement that will have academics begging you to accept their honorary degrees.
Become a celebrity. Academics are now recognizing that people who make a contribution to the entertainment world are just as deserving as those who excel in academic and professional fields. If you can change the world by writing timeless songs or make millions laugh with your stand-up comedy routines, you could be in line for an honorary doctorate.
Be passionate. Successful people are passionate about their chosen endeavors. Do a job or study in a field that you feel passionate about and don't let other people deter you. If you really want to be a landscape artist, interior designer, or brain surgeon, set clear, practical, realistic goals for yourself and don't procrastinate.
Improve people's lives. Invent something that makes people's lives easier or healthier. Everyone would like to bring about world peace, but great things are achieved in small steps. Even if you just start by volunteering in a community project, you will be helping to improve people's lives. Philanthropists and visionaries aren't motivated by the desire to win honorary doctorates, but to make the world a better place.