Being Successful=
– Will Willis
(This article contains highlights of a longer article, which c=
an
be found at http://www.2000tutor.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002398.html)
What does it take to be a success in the IT industry? Much more than just technical skills! Here are some
principles to follow that will help you become successful in all aspects of
your life.
1. Be Responsibl=
e for
yourself and your future
"The best helping hand you will ever find is at the end of your own
arm." In other words, don't rely on others to do things for you. Accept
responsibility for the situation you are in and do something about.
2. Listen and Le=
arn
from other successful people.
Take advantage of the fact that there are people who have been down the road
before and are willing to help you out. If you shut yourself off because you
aren't hearing what you want to hear, you are probably not going to be
successful.
3. Love what you=
do .. and do it.=
It's harder to be successful doing something you aren't interested in. For =
one,
if you don't love what you do you are more inclined to put in only the mini=
mum
amount of effort to get by. Also, you fall into =
the
trap of chasing money/prestige and always feel like you need just a little =
more
to be happy. If you love what you do, you'll be more willing to go above and
beyond to be successful at it.
4. Learn from yo=
ur
mistakes
A simple thought to be sure, but too many people fail to get off the highwa=
y of
failure and continue to do what they've done in the past, whether it has be=
en
successful or not.
5. Change now, b=
efore
you have to.
change =3D growth if done readily and willingly<=
br>
change =3D grief if done reluctantly
Essentially, you have to keep pushing forward in order to be successful. Th=
is
is critically important to those in the IT field. New technologies and prod=
ucts
are coming out all the time. Understand the industry, understand what is on=
the
horizon, and work hard to get ahead of the curve.
6. Deliver what =
you
promise.
Integrity and character MATTER. If you do what's right, people will trust y=
ou
and have confidence in you, and will follow you. You want to be successful?
Show people that they can count on you through thick and thin.
7. Don't make ex=
cuses
Don’t blame others for your shortcomings or inabi=
lity
to get where/what you want. Look inside and figure out what you can =
do
to overcome your circumstances. Figure out what you are doing wrong, what is
keeping you from your goals, and fix it.
8. Work off the =
clock.
Not to say you have to work all of the time, but you have to maximize the h=
ours
you have available. You have to be willing to put in the hours outside of 8=
-5
in order to be successful, especially in the IT industry. The personal time=
you
sacrifice will translate directly into your growth. If you expect companies=
to
pay to send you to classes anytime you need to learn something new, you'll
never get ahead of your peers who are willing to setup home networks and le=
arn
new technologies on their own.
9. Plan and
Prioritize.
Never let the things that matter the most take precedence over the things t=
hat
matter the least. Get rid of the time wasters, both at work and in your
personal life. I don't categorize things like hobbies as time wasters, but
rather things like channel flipping the TV when there is nothing on that you
want to watch but you don't feel like getting up and doing something differ=
ent.
Prioritize what you want to get accomplished, put a time line on it, and pu=
t it
on your calendar. Track your progress, it makes =
it
harder to blow something off if you set a deadline.
10. Believe in
yourself and your mission.
Don't take failure personally. Everyone fails at things in life, only God is
perfect. Believe in your abilities and what you're trying to accomplish,
because without that self-esteem you are doomed to repeat failing over and
over. Know that you can accomplish what you want, and take action to do it.=
11. Give more to
others than they expect.
A common philosophy of customer service is to exceed the customer's
expectations. take this approach with everyone y=
ou
meet in life and you will be successful.
The bottom line =
is
that these principles are all intertwined, and that in order to succeed you
have to realize that it begins and ends with you. No one can do it for you,=
and
making excuses for why you can't succeed isn't going to accomplish anything.
Take responsibility, listen to and learn from others, and take action to ch=
ange
your circumstances. Good luck!