Ever wondered if you could be even more successful? Maybe a promotion or salary increase, or even a complete change in company?
You may have many dreams floating inside your head, but they might not become a reality if you’re not exploiting your full potential.
It stands to reason that only those who pursue their ambitions with wisdom, passion and fervor will achieve all that they’re capable.
So, we’ve compiled a list of things you should do every day to help you do this.
Here it is:
1. Trust your abilities
Only when you believe in yourself and your own abilities will other people see what you already know.
Even if you do outstanding work, you won’t go very far without the right attitude.
A simple example: If you have an outstanding presentation but don’t believe, your boss will judge your impression more than your work.
2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
“The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything” – Theodore Roosevelt
Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from taking the action required to reach your goals. A mistake won’t equal a step backwards on the ladder to success. Instead, it will teach you how to reach the next one.
So, get out of your comfort zone and learn from the new experiences you’ve been afraid to take.
3. Don’t blaspheme the boss or colleagues
Unfortunately, gossip has become a popular sport in the employee kitchen and even bathrooms. Office banter is okay and can even be beneficial to establish repour, but don’t fall into the temptation in joining into gossip that’s at the expense of others.
In the short term it may be amusing, but you never know when it can come back to bite you.
4. Ignore the naysayers
Anyone who’s done anything worthwhile has had many naysayers and doubters telling them they couldn’t. It’s just a fact of life that negative people exist, but it is up to you how you respond to it.\
Learn to use negative energy as fuel and stick to the road you’ve set out for yourself to reach your goals.
5. Never settle
Goals are essential steps on the ladder to success, but when they’re accomplished, you don’t stop climbing. Instead, extend your ladder and set new ones, to continue growing as a person and reaching new limits.
There’s a common saying that when you stop growing as person, you stop living and just exist. Do you want to keep existing at your current altitude or do you want start living again at new heights?
Success feels good, so go out and celebrate when you accomplish your goals. But while you’re celebrating, start thinking about what’s next.
Remember, success is not a permanent condition. It has to be maintained and expanded upon.
6. Listen to criticism
Naysayers aren’t worth your time, but honest criticism should be listened to.
No matter how smart you are, you won’t be able to see a situation from every perspective, so stay open to new ones, even if they undermine your own.
If they’re better, admit it and learn from them, and even if they’re not, you’ll be appreciated for valuing the opinions and contributions of others.
7. Take responsibility
Nobody likes to confess when they’ve screwed up. But protecting your ego achieves nothing other than possibly leading to worse consequences for not taking responsibility.
Nobody’s perfect, and other people know it.
Admit mistakes and show a willingness to learn from them. First mistakes are okay when they help you grow as a person and your honesty will be valued.
8. Emulate your role models
Whatever you want to become successful in, you’ll find it easier to get there if you find a role model who’s already made it.
Follow the trail they left and emulate their strengths, but don’t become a carbon copy. Instead, become a 2.0 and learn from their weaknesses as well.
If they’re alive and available to contact, pick up the phone. Maybe your role model can become a mentor too.
9. Say no
There’s a well-known saying that even if you lie down for other people to walk all over you, they’ll still complain that you’re not flat enough.
People will try to throw their responsibilities onto you and add to your workload even if you’re flat out. Learn to stand up for yourself and say no.
“No, I cannot take on extra responsibilities at the moment” or “no, unfortunately we cannot change shifts this week”. Practice it.
Most people think it’s better to be a people pleaser. Though this can be true, it only holds true for those who can help you reach the next level.
It will do you no good to overstrain yourself for no reason. You’ll just burn out.
10. Be decisive
It is well-known wisdom that – decisions are always made. If not by you, then by someone else without you.
To be successful in anything, you have to be able to take matters into your own hands and be decisive. Analyze new challenges and situations as they come on, and once you’ve come to a conclusion stick to it, without fear or insecurity. Be confident.
Many people fail to move forward because they’re afraid to be responsible for the decisions that matter. They prefer to stay in their safe bubble where their contributions don’t hold much influence, and consequences are minimal.
But that’s not living, and that’s not you.
If you don’t take responsibility and design your own path, your path will be determined by those above you who weren’t afraid to take on the hard choices.
11. Keep evolving
The professional world is fast-paced. To be successful in your job, and good enough for promotion, you’ll have to learn to keep up.
Never reset on the assumption that you’re good enough. Check completed work to see how it can be improved, and after you’ve given 100%, look for extra work.
Most importantly, invest in yourself by getting additional training. Industries can change quickly, and you have to be ready for it.
12. Stay Focused
It doesn’t matter how smart you are, how privilege’d you are, or what brilliant idea you have. What ultimately determines level of success is your ability to stay focused and work towards your goals.
But procrastination is so tempting, even in the best of times. Why work when you can be watching funny cat videos on Youtube?
Picture who you want to become and realize those funny cat videos will keep you where you are but putting in the hard yards will get you to where you want to go.
Eliminate distractions, have a plan when you’re going to put in some work and don’t forget to take little reward breaks when you achieve little mini-goals.
Committing to the grind is great and will get you to where you want to be, put if you put in the hours, you deserve a bit of rest time here and there as well!
