Dick Van Dyke has a storied and legendary career in showbiz, but the guy says he probably could've gotten off his ass early on and conquered much more than he already did.

The iconic entertainer, who just turned 98 last week, got profiled in a new 'CBS Sunday Morning' episode this weekend ... where he reflected on his many years working on Hollywood and beyond, the fruitful exploits of which he calls nothing but dumb luck.

Watch ... Dick says everything that ever came his way professionally -- and best believe it was a lot -- was simply good fortune ... 'cause, according to him, he wasn't a chaser.

DVD says he wasn't hustling for jobs or gigs when he was starting out -- and explains things just naturally landed in his lap. In fact, he even goes so far as to say he's naturally a lazy guy ... which is insane to think about considering how much work he has under his belt.

As he puts it, he'd go out and do a movie or something, come home ... and literally just sit around waiting for the phone to ring with a new opportunity -- and they always arrived.

The interviewer sounds incredulous, asking if he really didn't plan all the success he's had -- to which he says ... not really. Somehow, he goes on to claim he doesn't have much drive!

Even if his long streak of great art was all serendipitous, we're happy it worked out. Dick's a national treasure, and the fact he's still as sharp as he is ... nothing short of a blessing.

Happy birthday, Mr. Van Dyke!!!