Career Success: To Win, first be willing to Win!

This is Post #1 from a Series of 6 Posts


Whether we say it or not, we all want to be successful. We invest in stock markets with a wish and hope that we will make monetary gains. We participate in competitions to win. On the same lines, we all take up professions to be successful.

Success means different things to different people. People feel successful when they;
  • achieve something - a promotion, a qualification
  • receive a recognition or an award
  • learn new things, 
  • tackle new challenges or solve problems at work, 
  • earn more money, 
  • do something that they love doing, 
  • make a difference to someone else's life, or
  • see smiles on the faces of their families.
Success in a profession or a career may be accomplished in 5 simple steps;

Step # 1: Write down your own definition of success. 

Step # 2: Breakdown your success into multiple smaller goals or targets.

Step # 3: Set achievable and measurable targets.

Step # 4: Be prepared to put in extraordinary effort.

Step # 5: Revise your plan whenever necessary.

The core idea behind the steps to achieve professional success is your own drive or motivation. In other words, to be successful, success must mean something to you, an individual. Whatever that is, it is the first step and that's what the title of this post means - "To Win, first be willing to win!"

Your drive to achieve career success will revolve around a profession, so you have to make that choice first. After you have identified your core drive and your profession, you need to lay down a path to achieve your goals. The path that you must follow to accomplish your goals is your career plan. When you plan, you must set targets that are achievable and measurable. Once set, you can get started with the implementation of your plan. Focus on one task or activity at a time. When done, move to the next task or activity. Plans don't always work!, you need to make them work. So, do not hesitate to prioritise your tasks and revise your plan.

Detailed explanation of each step is provided in upcoming posts.


Next post in the series: Step # 1: Your own definition of success 
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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