It’s 2020. Not only are we at the beginning of a new year, we’re at the beginning of a new decade.
Along with the myriad personal resolutions many of us are making, it’s a great time for us to make some professional ones, too. With a clean slate in front of us, we can concentrate on crafting goals for realistic career improvement and advancement. Here’s how you can become a high achiever in 2020 and beyond:
Make Lists
Even if it’s not your thing, making a list of daily tasks that need to be done helps you stay focused and on track. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment as you work through and are able to cross off your day’s objectives, encouraging you to stay the course.
Take Action
It’s easy to talk about what you want to achieve, but to actually do it, you have to take action. Stop dreaming. Get out your list and start checking things off. If you’ve been considering a career in the U.S. but haven’t deciphered the differences between h1b vs h2b visas and how to make it happen, pick up a phone and make an appointment with an immigration attorney. The first step in any plan is often the hardest, but it’s the one that high achievers aren’t scared to take.
Be Bold
Successful people take action…and chances. They don’t focus on always getting good results but instead make it a habit to try new things, taking on challenges and risking failure and/or reprimand while doing it. They know that exploration and experimentation, no matter the outcome, will serve as learning experiences, helping them build skill after skill.
Practice Early and Often
High achievers don’t sleep in, and they don’t quit. If you want to accomplish great things this year, hit the ground running each morning — if not literally, then at least figuratively! Physical and cognitive exercise keeps us conditioned, preparing us for harder times ahead.
Offer to attend the meeting, crunch the numbers, write the report. Even if/when it’s boring. There’s a theory that 1,000 hours of practice helps promote the mastery of a skill; while practice alone might not get you where you want to be, it will certainly help you be prepared for when you do!
Focus on Communication
Good communication is a key to success. People who speak well and listen well go farther because they are able to better facilitate meaningful relationships. Being able to talk in front of people, to confidently convey thoughts and ideas, while at the same time being able to heed suggestions and receive criticism prepares high achievers for active learning opportunities. Seek occasions to speak to people, to listen to them and to learn from them; to paraphrase Dr. Seuss, “the more you know, the further you’ll go!”
