I’ve been thinking a lot about careers lately. Specifically, how some people are on their A Game and others are sitting on the sidelines. While I may never know if some people who always seem on top of things are just magically know things or if they study hard like the rest of us – I do know that we can all learn to bring our A game all of the time. After all – to kick but in the work place much success can be attributed to confidence, the ability to think quickly on your feet, and the hunger to succeed. At least that’s my opinion. So since I can’t open the curtains to unveil what some of the best performers are doing to stay on top of their game – I can shed some light into what I think makes people successful.
1. Take Care of yourself! I’m a firm believer that if you don’t take care of yourself – it will be hard for you to take care of others. Simple things from carving out some “me time” to getting some exercise and eating your vegetables. While taking care of yourself becomes more challenging as your role of taking care of others increases – I believe it is a key ingredient to success. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. I recently stumbled upon an article on MIT’s website that said the following:
“Your commitment requires an investment of time, as well as, mental and emotional effort. While it may be gratifying and rewarding to help others, it may also take a toll on you. After all, the life of an upper-class student is not without its own stresses challenges. That is why it’s important that you take care of yourself first, if you want to be a successful associate advisor.”
The article continues by discussing setting boundaries, creating a support system, and proper diet and exercise. Personally I find that when I am doing a good job of taking care of myself (exercise, healthy diet, sleeping, etc.) I have a stronger A Game.
2. Know where you’re trying to go. Knowing where you’re tying to go is a key element of success. It’s not only important to creating your game plan – but it’s also key to measuring your success. This ingredient is similar to Steven Covey’s 2nd Habit for Highly Effective People : Begin with the end in mind. In his writings, Covey suggests creating a personal mission statement to help guide you as you create a roadmap to success. In addition to creating a mission statement, I recommend establishing quarterly goals that will help you move one step closer to your end goal. These goals can be anything from reading a certain amount of trade books, building relationships with two new industry leaders, or joining an organization that will allow you to build the skills you need to be successful.
3. Do your homework. Once you know where you’re trying to go – it’s important to take action to get there. This ingredient ties into the earlier recommendation of setting quarterly goals. Not only should you set the goals – you should work to achieve them. By breaking your game plan into smaller homework assignments makes your big dream more attainable. Overwhelming yourself with unrealistic expectations can be counterproductive.
4. Network, Network, Network. You can never underestimate the value of a good network. People are often our greatest source of information so I encourage you to meet people who are where you would like to be in life. While they may not have 100% of your ideal job or life, someone who embodies something you value and wish to achieve in life is a strong ally. So set up informational interviews, host and/or attend networking parties, go to events where you can meet people whom will help you better your life. And remember to give back to others as well.
5. Market yourself. While meeting people is important. You shouldn’t go into the lions den unprepared. So remember – take the time to create your elevator pitch. Be able to speak about yourself in a way that’s not arrogant but portrays yourself in the best light. While you may not need to chat about yourself much, it’s important to be able to in the event that someone whats to know more about you and your career. At a networking event, I once met someone where we chatted about me for about 3 mins and spent the rest of the event talking about sports. Next thing I knew – their firm was contacting me to for a job. While I didn’t chat about myself for long – I made sure to share the strong highlights about my professional background and then let my personality and passion for sports shine.
So good luck and remember to bring your A game all the time!
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Career Advice
