1. Make A Plan
The very first key to success is to make a plan. This means having a clear picture of what a successful life looks like to you and putting together a well-defined set of goals to get you to that life.
Planning well starts with figuring out what you want and writing it down in detail. It’s important to have clarity on your definition of success. This is the foundation for your plan.
To succeed means to accomplish a goal. By this definition, if you don’t set goals, you’ll never succeed.
2. Setting The Right Mindset
I know, I know…
You came hoping for practical advice and I’m hitting you with the “mindset”.
To keep this one short, so that we can dive into the nuts and bolts of it all, know this:
You must focus on the long-term.
Whatever hopes and dreams you have of seeing any result within the next month must be forgotten.
Instead, look 6 months, 1 year, 5 years into the future.
By doing this, not only will your plan be much more doable, but you will also be able to enjoy the process and focus on what you’re doing.
3. Change your attitude
When working, having the right attitude not only puts you in the right frame of mind to succeed yourself, but will also encourage those around you to do the same.
The right attitude can differ dependent upon the environment you’re in while at work, but will usually manifest itself as one of the following:
- Positivity
- Optimism
- Creativity
- Happiness
- Encouragement
- Motivation
It’s easy to see how displaying any of the these traits can benefit your career and wellbeing, but also how you’ll be a positive influence on those around you.
Being seen as someone who is passionate, driven and can motivate others, will invariably lead to career progression opportunities.
Changing our attitude may well go against that of the general company population, but as long as the change is positive, it will be noticed by others and may well be mimicked. People naturally conform to the behaviour of others, whether consciously or not. This happens all the time, for example in job interviews, where you might inadvertently adopt the same body language as the person opposite you.
If you behave in a certain way around people for any length of time, then certain traits that you’re exhibiting will start to transfer between your colleagues and spread more positive behaviour.
Great leaders display an attitude that others strive for, which is why they happily follow that person.
4. Believe in yourself
When no one else believes in you–when they say you don’t have the experience to start a business, or the skills to be a boss, or the right disposition for leadership–do everything in your power to prove them wrong. Acknowledge your skills and your strengths and work hard at attaining what you want.
5. Choices today create our tomorrow
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, but what you choose to do from here. Successful people don’t look back except to learn and grow and make amends if needed. Once that’s done, focus on choosing what truly matters and pursuing it passionately.
6. Set Up Structures
Create systems in your life that will support your desired changes, so you don’t have to supply all of your own momentum. If you want to start working out more often, join a gym, find a workout buddy, and make it part of your schedule. If you want to relieve stress, commit to a regular stress relief practice and add it to your routine. If you want to spend more time with your spouse, start a regular date night. Setting up structures in your life helps you to follow through on those, “I should start …” plans in your head, and make them part of your reality.
7. Be honest with yourself
If you find your goal is at a standstill, you might need to be honest with yourself about the reasons. After you have come to an understanding, try to find a solution to push yourself toward success. Challenge yourself to try new strategies. This might mean speaking to a supervisor about a promotion, signing up for a difficult college class that you never considered before or exploring different industries to work. An honest review of your situation and goals allows you to make better decisions about the next steps.
8. Step out of your comfort zone
One of the best ways to advance your career is to identify and solve an organizational problem your company is experiencing. If you can identify a problem within your organization, propose a solution, and implement it, you will not only increase your visibility in the organization, but also expand your skills in the process.
Succeeding in a constantly changing workplace requires a career management plan. Employers always want to attract, hire, and retain employees who provide the best value. Think about yourself as a business with a product to sell and create a strategy for marketing your value in the workplace.
9. Be ready to learn
To excel in your career, you have to be willing to learn to become a leader and accept constructive feedback. No matter what university you graduated from or what grades you had, professional life will be very different from college. Be prepared to have a million questions pop up every day regarding what you’re doing. It might take you days to get a hang of your duties at your new job, so show management that you are coachable, paying attention and always willing to learn new things.
10. Learn from Your Mistakes
They say “the road to success is paved with failure.” What they don’t say, is that each piece of failure on that road probably looks different than the other. Success most likely came by way of trying (and failing) many different ways. Yes, you can fail your way to success, but almost never by making the same mistake over and over.
Failure is a part of the process of becoming successful if you make it a teacher. Learning and growing after failure makes it useful.
For example, consider a runner. Every race a runner loses, they may still be improving. If they build up strength and try new running techniques, they will likely see progress. They may move up from 5th place to 3rd place to 2nd. Even though they aren’t first, each race is a part of the process of success, moving them closer to getting first place.
I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.
Conclusion
Drifting around aimlessly is not how you succeed in life and wishful thinking doesn’t make it so. Thus, jump into the driver’s seat and stay vigilant. Embrace a positive outlook on things: forge a winning mindset ready to take on any challenge instead of dwelling on things past.
Get to know yourself better and your priorities straight. Make an effort to get your financial house in order and get smarter about spending money. Strictly follow set goals, your guiding light illuminating the path ahead. Whatever you choose to do, start working on that future you desire sooner rather than later.
