There’s an old saying, “Success is a matter of luck. Just ask any unsuccessful person.” While most successful people will tell you that they have been lucky, they will also tell you that they’ve worked very hard to get lucky. This article picks up on this idea. It lists five things that successful people do, and that unsuccessful people don’t do.
All five of these habits are important, but I really like the last three:
- Never make excuses.
- Focus on your goals daily.
- Be willing to fail.
These three tips have served me well in my life and career.
A long time ago I learned the importance of not making excuses. When things go wrong, I own up to it. Recently, I had a coaching client ask for a refund because he didn’t feel that I was being as responsive to him as he expected. He was right. My wife was in the hospital and I was trying to juggle a few too many things. I gave him the refund and apologized. I didn’t mention that my wife was ill. I owned up to the fact that I wasn’t as responsive to him as he wanted me to be (and I wanted myself to be). I screwed up. I took on too many things while I was having a bit of a family crisis. That’s not an excuse. That’s the truth. No matter how much I might have tried to justify my lack of responsiveness, the fact is I was not responsive to this client’s needs. He deserved a refund.
Goals are very important. I always advise my coaching clients to stop what they’re doing two or three times every day and ask this simple question: “Is what I’m doing right now contribute to my long learn goals?” You should adopt this habit. If the answer is “yes” — great, keep on keeping on. If the answer is “no” stop what you’re doing and begin doing something that will bring you closer to your goals.
Finally, successful people take well calculated risks. They are willing to fail. Way back in 1988 I took a big risk. I left a secure job with a very respected company and started a consulting, coaching and speaking business. My success wasn’t guaranteed. Yet, my desire to be in business for myself was greater than my fear of failure. I took the plunge and have never looked back. I should mention that I had been preparing for the day that I would strike out on my own for a long time. I got the education and experience necessary to make me a valuable consultant, coach and speaker. But leaving the security of a well paying job was still a big risk for me. Here I am 27 years later. My business has changed over the years, yet I am still doing the same things I set out to do all those years ago. I took a risk and it paid off.
Put the advice in this article to work in your life and watch your career flourish.
Your career mentor,
Bud
PS: I write this blog to help people create the life and career success they want and deserve. Now I’m going one step further. I’ve created a membership site in which I’ve pulled together my best thoughts on success. And, as a reader of this blog, you can become a member for free. Just go to www.BudBilanich.com/join to claim your free membership. You’ll be joining a vibrant and growing community of success minded professionals. I hope to see you there.
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