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No one wants to put in a significant amount of work at their job, only to find that what they’re doing is going very little way – if any way at all – towards actually enhancing and improving the future trajectory of their career.
We all like to feel that we are heading in a positive direction, rather than just sitting around and grinding through the daily chores, over and over again, ad nauseam.
There are all sorts of different factors that go into establishing a successful career, and these will often vary quite significantly from one field or industry to another.
In any event, there are some basic principles that are likely to help you out pretty much irrespective of your specific working environment.
Here are a few smart tips for excelling in your career.
There are all sorts of different factors that go into establishing a successful career, and these will often vary quite significantly from one field or industry to another.
Tweet ThisAlways be on the lookout for smarter ways to get your work done, rather than just relying on sheer grit
The advent of labour-saving devices, such as the Steamaster steam cleaner, is largely responsible for the fact that so many of us enjoy so much more leisure time today than our recent ancestors could ever imagine.
And while these kinds of tools and technologies have virtually miraculous benefits in the home, the basic principle they embody also carries over to the workplace. There are always going to be “smarter” ways of getting things done, versus less sophisticated approaches that require and rely on sheer grit.
David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization.
“Everyone wants to be successful in their lives and careers- it is what many of us spend decades striving for and what many of us feel proud to achieve. If you want to get ahead in your career and make a difference you must be willing to always keep an open mind, and understand that there will always be something new for you to learn. It is impossible for anyone to know everything, and you need to stay willing to learn new things every single day.” – Get Ahead In Your Career
The better able you are to identify and utilise “smart working” strategies, versus just “muscling through” with things, the more you will be able to achieve in a given span of time, and the likelier you are to rise to the challenges presented by your job and to excel.
Read books such as Tim Ferriss’s “Tools for Titans,” and work to implement “smart strategies” in your career.
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Work on mastering daily “systems” management
Scott Adams is famous as the creator of the Dilbert comics, and has also picked up a bit of a name for himself within
Why do some people achieve all their goals while others simply dream of having a better life? With over 640,000 copies sold of this classic book on how to set and achieve goals comes the newest edition by bestselling author and motivational speaker Brian Tracy.
By “systems” Adams is referring to daily habits and routines that help to move you in the desired direction reliably, day after day – whereas goals are more of a hit and miss proposition.
According to Adams, one of the best bits of advice ever given to him came from a CEO he met at the start of his professional life. The advice in question was “your job isn’t to do your job, your job is to always look for a better job.”
By working on mastering daily systems that incrementally increase your chance of success, you give yourself the best chance of a fruitful career going forward.
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Take care of your own health and well-being
You could be the most skilled, most well-educated, most experienced, and most well-intentioned person out there, but if your health and well-being are wrecked, it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to manage to take your career to the heights you might otherwise have reached.
Always make a point of taking care of your own health and well-being, not just because “it feels good,” but because it influences every dimension of your life.
The healthier and happier you are, the better company you will be for your loved ones, the more creative and insightful you will be, and the likelier you are to perform to a high standard in your career, and to advance accordingly.
If you’ve been searching for that elusive work-life balance oasis, or if you’ve ever described yourself as “super-busy,” this book is for you. There is a way for you to feel more fulfillment and ease in all parts of your life.
