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Anyone who has grown weary and disenchanted with the working world is not to blame. Growing up and realizing that the majority of the advice we have been given about how to succeed is flawed is a tremendous letdown.
It was said to us, “Just work hard at whatever job you get, and things will work out.” That is untrue. It doesn’t get you very far to work hard at your job. All of your hard work is taken for granted when you put in a lot of effort at a job where your supervisor doesn’t appreciate it. You won’t get anything from working hard alone; it will only wear you out and shorten your life.
Millions of individuals worldwide would be far more successful than they are if success was solely based on hard work!
If you are currently working, consider the time and effort you are putting into your job. Consider giving up all of your personal time to complete more work and just returning home to sleep for four hours each night. Imagine spending the next five years working tirelessly and essentially living at your desk. What would you get from that tremendous effort?
You won’t profit financially from putting your all into your profession if you’re paid an hourly rate or a fixed income, as the majority of individuals are. Even while your manager appreciates your extra work, they won’t increase your salary every month just because you’re working more hours.
The mere fact that you have brilliant ideas won’t translate into higher compensation. You don’t see any real job success from any of those investments. You may give your job your all and still receive a one percent raise at the end of the year, or you could be fired when the firm decides you’ve fixed all of their major issues and they no longer need you.
We know that hard work isn’t the only factor in career success, so what’s the secret ingredient?
As many highly educated yet underemployed people will confirm, having a decent education is not the secret to success, nor is it luck to come from a wealthy household. Self-determination is the secret to a successful and fulfilling job. You get to choose which route to sail when you are the ship’s captain. The only way to succeed in your career is to do that.
Starting your own firm is not a prerequisite for career self-determination. My friend Mike has worked for renowned companies and achieved incredible success in his profession. Mike is successful because he takes his own decisions instead of letting inertia or job advertisements dictate his next course of action.
Mike moves on once a job has given him everything he has to offer. He doesn’t give a damn about his boss’s opinion of his work. He is concerned about the influence he is making at work, which he can discuss with other employers when the time comes to go.
That is really all that matters because Mike never intends to stay at any one company for longer than five years, and his boss’s impact on him is limited to the time that Mike is actually employed by that boss.
Even though he works for others, Mike considers himself to be self-employed. He enjoys his job, has plenty of free time, receives a good salary, and, most importantly, is content and healthy.
Mike doesn’t require approval from others to feel good about himself, nor is he a suckup. He is simply aware of the types of business pain he alleviates for employers, which makes him highly useful and self-satisfied.
Mike didn’t go to a prestigious university or come from a wealthy household. He adheres to these ten guidelines for professional success, and you can too.
- You’ll begin by formulating a life and professional vision. You will always be on a route that you set for yourself, not someone else’s plan for you, or no plan at all. Your vision may and certainly will alter over time.
- Accept a survival job if you are in need of money and are unable to find a career-type employment. Avoid the error of believing that you are a low-level employee because of your current low-level position. To gain a better job, I’ll have to grovel and beg.” While you’re looking for better employment, use the survival job to make enough money to support yourself. Never, ever switch off your taxi’s “available” light!
- At every stage of your career, make your own decisions about what you want to accomplish next. When a manager says, “You could have a great career in this company!” don’t fall for it. Talk is cheap. Keep your forward motion under control, and if it becomes too slow, keep going!
- Recognize yourself. The majority of people depend on others to advise them on their professional responsibilities. You must look in the mirror and be honest with yourself if you want to achieve career self-determination. It is impossible to make a mistake as long as you learn from every event, so you don’t need to feel guilty about anything that happened in the past.
- Don’t take a new job just because it offers you a fancy title or a high income; instead, take it because you like and trust the people there. Many occupations that appear nice on the outside are often sickening on the inside. Prioritize your instincts over all other advice!
- Regardless of whether you work for a large company, a small startup, or yourself, remember that you are the CEO of your own career and a consultant. It’s a detail on how you get compensated. Despite six or eight job changes, Mike has maintained his position as CEO of his own career, and he isn’t ready to relinquish it just yet!
- Even if you are not yet ready to take on clients, get a consulting business card and start thinking of yourself as a consultant who solves problems for clients. Distribute your consulting business card rather than the one that your employer provides. Create a plan for your new consulting company. What services are you going to provide? Which issues will you resolve for your customers? What is the cost of your services to them?
- Purchase a journal and fill it up daily or as frequently as you can. Write about your life goals and professional goals. Write down your objectives and failures. Write down your thoughts, feelings, and dreams. You have something amazing in the works. Put it on paper and get it out of your thoughts!
- Be cautious about who you spend time with. The most valuable resource you have is your time. Avoid people who drain your life force and spend as much time as you can with those that feed your flame.
- Lastly, speak up and stand up for yourself. Every successful individual has had to deal with a lot of critics and doubters, as well as have to leave unsuitable surroundings. Attempting to please everyone or allowing yourself to be treated like a doormat will not lead to success. Express your feelings by speaking up. It won’t appeal to everyone. You may even lose your job a couple of times. It’s not a huge deal, and in fact, losing your job will strengthen and strengthen your convictions. You must abandon the notion that you can play it safe and still accomplish your goals if you want to succeed.
Life is short. Additionally, all jobs are transitory.
Every year, every month, and every minute of your valuable time is yours to spend anyway you see fit. You are in charge of determining whether to take the wheel and when to let others guide your ship.
What are you waiting for? Now is the ideal time to regain control over your job and begin managing your working life as a business.
