Success is like learning how to play the guitar; it’s hard to get it if you don’t like what you’re doing, it takes years to master and if you don’t touch it every now and then, you’ll lose it.
Be it your career, sport, education or art, these principles are key to your successes. Here are the 8 pillars to becoming successful:
1. Be Passionate
Think about that time you spent hours and days on that one activity. You were so enthusiastic and involved with what you were doing, you completely ignored all distractions. In fact, you didn’t even realise how hungry you were. A pretty good memory huh? And that’s exactly what passion can do to someone.
All of us have a natural tendency towards something which we can pursue for hours everyday with great ease and interest. Imagine taking action towards making that thing your career. For example; a talent in drawing can be the first step towards a career in digital graphic design, illustration, animation or game design.
By making your hobby your career, you are far more likely to result in career success.
2. Work Hard
No brainer, right? How to be successful with your career? Work, work hard! Because really, nothing can help you if you’re not prepared to. Hard work does not have to be painful, especially if that work comes with great passion. Do all you can do everyday, but as efficiently as possible.
Work to refine your skills, work to take up new ones, work to become a better communicator, work to understand your clients better.
3. Focus
Being single-minded is good for success: it clears your mind of unnecessary doubt. If you want a job that badly, start telling yourself you will get it and clears everything else that makes you think otherwise.
When you’re at work, focus on one thing at a time. If too many things distracts you from completing that software feature or taking care of a customer complaint, delegate someone else to help you with the less urgent and important tasks.
4. Push
Success does not come overnight, nor does it come in two months. If anything, it involves lifetime learning. If you don’t keep pushing forward, you’ll lag behind.
5. Ideas
Keep thinking of ways to improve your customers’ satisfaction, your team’s performance, or the office experience. Creativity manifests itself in many ways. It can be new methods to solve the same bugs, new ways to solve a customer relationship issue, new ways to integrate new team members, new office routines to increase morale, etc.
6. Improve
Constantly look for new ways to update your skills or knowledge, and improve your interpersonal and management skills.
7. Serve
Allow yourself to pass from the competitive mindset to the creative and cooperative one. You don’t earn rightful success by constantly competing against other people for favour, advancement and credit. Allow yourself to concentrate on creating new, better solutions to improve the company as a whole. Keep your eyes and mind on your clients instead of your competitors, inside or outside the company. Focusing on how to serve your clients better is the best way to maintain and amplify success.
8. Persist
A bit of gratitude reminds you of what you have achieved so far and what you’ve got now in your hands to become better. Track your progress and be informed of new opportunities to give yourself motivation to march on forward.
Author: Hong Van Nguyen
Editor: Bryan Lee
Sources:
http://www.ted.com/ , http://www.careerealism.com/career-success-keys/, http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensundheim/2013/12/20/how-to-have-a-more-successful-career-in-2014/, http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/reading-tips-for-career-success.php
