5 Characteristics that Guarantee Your Freelance Success
Success is something that all of us are chasing. Whether you’re about to open a neighborhood café, or a lawyer arguing in front of the Supreme Court, work and employment is the most satisfying when it leads to success.
But what makes a successful person? How do you become then next Steve Jobs, Sheryl Sandberg, or Barack Obama? While there’s no magic formula that works for everyone, a good place to start is this list of five traits that successful people tend to have courtesy of Inc. Magazine.
Get Good at Execution
Have you ever had a brainstorm at work? If so, chances are you heard a lot of great ideas from everyone in the room—but how many of those ideas were actually actionable? And what people in the room have the skills and smarts to go out an bring these ideas to life? In both cases, the number is probably pretty low. In order to find success, you’ve gotta be great at not only coming up with a great idea, but executing it and making it happen.
Wear That Chip on Your Shoulder With Pride
The phrase “a chip on your shoulder” is usually seen as a negative. After all, who wants to be around someone who is driven solely by something bad that happened to them in their past? It turns out, more people than you think. Inc. Magazine suggests allowing your need “to prove someone or something wrong” to drive you in the workplace. Of course, you’ll want to smile as much as possible, and be kind to your coworkers, but there’s nothing wrong with using an annoying or patronizing comment from your boss or colleague fuel your ambition.
Make Good Decisions
When you were in high school, chances are as you were heading out the door to spend Saturday night with your friends, your mother called out after you, “Make good decisions!” It seemed so obvious at the time—and in many ways, still does—but it’s worth keeping in mind. What you might not know is that making good decisions usually isn’t the result of lots of handwringing and conversing about the right thing do in. It’s usually the result of quick thinking and the moving on—and the moving on is the most important part! Who has time to fret over every little thing? Do the best you can, and move on. The best part of this is that the more you make quick decisions, the better at it you become.
Give, Give, Give
This has nothing to do with giving money or charity or handing out bonuses like they’re candy. Instead, practice becoming a person who gives in every aspect of your life. Give compliments to colleagues, get to know your clients and fellow employees on a personal level, and share you success with others. If you’re seen as a giving person, others will want to give to you as well.
Be Disciplined
This is the one that most people take for granted. We all say we know that success takes a lot of hard work—but do you really know this? Do you live this? Even if you think you do, it’s worth a reminder: success takes lots and lots of hard work, and in order to accomplish that hard work, that means you need to be disciplined. So overcome any tendencies to procrastinate or anything else that is the enemy of discipline, and focus on the end goal.
For some extra pointers on reaching success, check out this TED talk:8 Secrets of Success