Clifton Kopp
If you want to go far in your career and be successful, don’t expect things to land in your lap.
Unless you’re extraordinarily fortunate, career success ultimately will always come down to your daily habits.
So, if you feel your habits need some revamping, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I’ll take you through the daily habits of people who consistently advance in their careers.
Remember, going places in life (i.e. getting that promotion or raise), is always within reach if you want it to be.
But’s in your interest to start making a few adjustments… if you haven’t already.
Ready to climb the career ladder?
Let’s get to it!
1) They set clear goals
Most people are content to live mostly predictable and safe lives.
They’ll wake up, go to work, go to the bar, eat, sleep, and collect their monthly paychecks.
This is fine if you want your life to end up stagnant and, well, average.
People who make it far in life and their careers almost always set tangible, achievable goals.
Therefore, great things happen to them not by chance… but through strategic and methodical planning.
So get out a pen and paper and jot down a few long and short-term goals.
This will give you far greater direction and purpose, helping you stay focused with your priorities firmly in order.
2) They’re always learning
Successful people tend to want to continuously improve themselves and their knowledge of the world.
You see, the more you know, the more skills you acquire, the more opportunities come your way, professional or otherwise.
Hence, if you want to advance in your career, it’s certainly in your interest to dedicate a substantial amount of time and energy to learning new things.
The latter can mean taking online courses related to your field of work, honing in on specific, specialized skills, or simply reading and becoming well-versed with industry news and happenings.
The more you learn, the greater the asset you become in the office and beyond.
3) They value networking
When it comes to going places professionally, remember, no man or woman is an island.
It’s always a good idea to regularly network and connect with colleagues, mentors, industry professionals, and so on.
There are networking opportunities everywhere. Be creative.
Throughout the years, I’ve stumbled upon people at bars, in parks, or in the mall who have helped me in my career in some way or another.
Trust me, if you have an open mind, networking opportunities are everywhere.
So get out there.
Don’t be solitary, thinking you can do it all on your own.
Reach out to people, and don’t get discouraged if not all connections amount to anything… the point is, you will never know if you don’t try.
4) They manage their time well
Professionally successful people almost have a heightened awareness of time.
They don’t often waste time during the week, fiddling with their phone, or procrastinating to excess.
They take action, using specific tools and techniques to manage their time as efficiently as possible.
Not only will they effectively tackle their tasks and to-do lists, but they’ll also regularly leave plenty of room for strategic thinking and planning.
They’re always a few steps ahead of the rest because they consistently have the future in mind–a mentality that allows them to work both with vision and a high level of productivity.
5) They stay organized
Personally, when my workstation is in disarray and overly cluttered, it stresses me out; I feel overwhelmed and end up putting off work unnecessarily.
Generally speaking, people who advance in their careers keep their workspaces and digital files organized.
I know, Einstein was famously known to have a bit of a disorganized and messy desk, once saying: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”
Sure, he has a point.
But unless you’re a revolutionary, genius physicist, then as a general rule, keeping your workspace in order, and free of clutter is probably a good idea.
Doing so will minimize distraction and make it easier for you to find important information quickly and efficiently.
6) They keep a proactive and positive attitude
Successful people don’t wait around idly for good things to happen, they proactively take the initiative to go out and get them.
They tend to have a go-getter-type attitude, thinking out of the box and being creative about seeking projects that align with their career goals.
When it comes to work, they’ll regularly go the extra mile, going above and beyond their set of responsibilities.
This is because they have the wisdom and foresight to see the bigger picture, rather than rigidly sticking to their job on paper.
In life and work, setbacks are inevitable… nothing of value in life ever comes easy.
Being proactive, assertive, and positive in the face of adversity and challenges are major assets–and cumulatively, a defining quality of people who make it far in their careers.
Many, many people will give up, and lose morale when they don’t succeed.
Hence, it’s ultimately how you bounce back that will define you. Real talk.
7) They take care of their health
Guess what? It’s not all about what you do at the office, or on your laptop…
Successful people are all about being well-balanced.
Case in point: they always make it a point to look after their physical and mental health.
They’ll exercise regularly, eat well, maintain meaningful relationships, get adequate sleep, and so on.
They know that everything is connected.
If they’re sedentary all day, for instance, they know that this will negatively affect cognitive function–and therefore affect output.
And of course, the opposite is true, when you feel energetic, you work well with greater focus–and opportunities tend to present themselves.
When I feel a little stressed out by work, I close my laptop and go outside for an hour-long brisk walk instead of forcing the issue.
Later, when I get back, my head feels clear, my thoughts are fluid and I re-approach my work with far greater objectivity and efficiency.
If a mere thirty-minute walk in the park can do all that, you can imagine how far regular, vigorous exercise can take you.
Final words
To summarize, your daily habits play an integral, direct role in the success you will achieve in life.
Your habits pretty much define you.
So it’s time you started investing in them.
Trust me, once you make a few shifts, success and career development will become more of a reality by the minute.
And if you don’t let up and keep moving forward, you’ll get to where you want to be in no time. Keep going.
