If you’re relatively new to your career, you’re probably asking yourself “what can I do to be successful?” Well I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of amazing people over the years and there’s one trait that always comes through among the highly successful: Hard work.
Of all the things you can do to be a success, the one which always wins out is “working hard.” Successful people come into work a little earlier, stay a little later, and know how to put in the extra effort to do a fantastic job.
In fact, I’d agree with the statement above: “Hard Work Beats Talent.” There are lots of highly educated people in the business world who aren’t willing or able to push themselves hard enough to become a huge success. This is not to say you should sacrifice your family life, but when you can add more “oomph” you should.
Let me list six simple things that help in your quest to be a success.
# 1. Get up early.
This one seems funny but it’s true. Hard workers get up early. They take time to themselves when it’s quiet, they exercise before work, and they get organized before the flood of activity starts. Try getting up early and you’ll be amazed what happens. Not only are you more focused and productive, but you also find it easier to go to sleep early.
Early in my career I used to get up at a normal time, I’d have a cup of coffee and arrive at work around 8 or 8:30. Little did I know that all the high-performers had been there for an hour and by the time I rolled in I was already catching up.
Getting up early is also good mental exercise. It gives you mental toughness and discipline. Plus getting up early gives you the time and focus to stay organized during the day. (Most senior executives and successful entrepreneurs are early risers.)
# 2. Focus on what matters. Each day.
The biggest problem we have today at work is distraction. Twitter, Facebook, text messages, phone calls, meetings, emails… they’re all distracting. And more and more of our life is filled with these noise-making activities.
Successful people take time to focus. What is the #1 “deliverable”you’re really responsible for getting done? Well focus on that.
As the day becomes busy I find myself continuously trying to “refocus” on what’s important. Yes there are a lot of things to get done: emails, conference calls, meetings – but many of them are not always necessary to help you get your work done. Research has shown that 41% of the things “busy people do” are not important, so we have to avoid or delegate things that may distract us from what we need to get done.
Ever year of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)? Instead you should practice a little JOMO – Joy of Missing Out.
Some time I’ll walk across the street and get a cup of strong coffee – when I get back I”m 100% focused again. The more focused you are the clearer you become about what you’re accountable for – and all of us are accountable for something.
#3. Pay attention to detail.
This one is really important. Pay attention to detail. When you have a project to complete, a proposal to write, or presentation to produce, give it your best. It’s often easy to “gloss over the numbers” in a rush. Don’t do it. Do everything in your power to make sure your work is accurate, complete … and has detail behind it.
People who do their homework carefully and don’t make mistakes are needed in every profession, and you will stand out as an exceptional performer.
I remember a project early in my career where I made a small error in the pricing for a large client proposal and my boss caught it. I will never forget the feedback he gave me, and in my annual performance appraisal he mentioned one thing: “attention to detail.” I never forgot it.
#4. Do more listening, less talking.
One of the mistakes I’ve made over the years is not listening enough, and as I moved into leadership roles I realized that listening was more important than ever.
Not listening is an easy mistake to make – your mind is racing, you know what you want to say or do, and you’re half-listening to the person or people around you. And when I was younger I was convinced that “doing my job” was the most important thing I could focus on.