This archive report was first published on 23 September 2019.
As professionals, we often find ourselves consumed by work obligations, leaving little time for personal development. However, making room for growth is essential to achieving success in our careers.
According to a popular African saying, "if you have to keep the town streets clean, make sure your own compound is free of litter first." This adage emphasizes the importance of prioritizing our personal lives to achieve success at work.
Here are five essential career development tips to help you build a successful career:
1. Dedicate Time to Learning ¶
Set aside 30 minutes daily to learn something new. This could be reading a book, listening to a podcast, or watching a lecture from a world leader. Increasing your knowledge of the industry, rivals, and clients will give you a comparative advantage over your peers.
As the most successful career leaders will attest, reading is a valuable technique for personal development. It exposes you to new perspectives and broadens your view on business and global issues.
2. Identify and Prioritize Your Goals ¶
One way to track your performance in achieving your personal goals is to prioritize your top three objectives. Be it investing in stocks, building a family house, or accumulating assets, identify concrete steps to take in the next two weeks to ensure you get the ball rolling.
Follow up on the progress of your goals on a daily basis to address any obstacles and reset goals when needed.
3. Reposition Your Time Objectives ¶
The adage "time is money" emphasizes the need to prioritize our objectives in life. As tasks pile up at work, time to get things done will seem like a scarce commodity.
When a new opportunity arises, ask yourself, "If I take this up, what could I be saying 'no' to?" Choose wisely and know what you are getting yourself into.
4. Seek Candid Advice ¶
We don't live in a vacuum, and every now and then, we need an outsider's perspective to positively critique our actions. Find someone who can be comfortably objective to give you candid advice on self-improvement.
Spend time listening to advice from more successful people who exhibit work habits that you need to emulate.
5. Discover Your Pause Button ¶
A pause is a rewarding self-awareness tool that demonstrates your ability to stop and think before responding. Reactions are normally spontaneous and more often are without much thought.
Being reactionary shows one as being defensive and quick to answer. Instead, learn to listen then respond. When you learn to pause, you grow in discernment.
