Ten Things that Require Little or no Skill or Education
14th November, 2016
Whether it’s time management, work ethic, setting work/life boundaries, exercising, eating well or being disciplined with your personal finances, habits are your baseline. When unexpected moments interfere in your life, it is long established habits that are your saviour.
Here are ten important habits to nurture which don’t require specific skills.
- Being on Time
Time is valuable, more so than money. There is a finite amount of it and it cannot be replaced, money can. To be late to an event, a meeting, to anything, is a lack of respect or regard for the other person. It also shows a lack of self-respect. There are very few justifiable reasons to ever be late to anything. I personally hate being kept waiting for doctors or dentists so we all know how it feels.
- Work Ethic
A strong work ethic is vital to a company achieving its goals. It is vital to you achieving your goals. A work ethic is a set of moral principles one uses in their job and in life. These include personal integrity, honesty, truthfulness, sense of responsibility, emphasis on quality, discipline, and a sense of teamwork.
- Effort
Effort is as important as work ethic. Employees who are willing to put in additional effort can make or break a company, so please don’t underestimate it’s power. Effort is measured by the amount of exertion expended for a specified purpose and it can apply to absolutely everything from your attire to the way you interact with others.
- Body Language
Your body language speaks far louder, and more accurately, about how you are feeling, your attitude, and every emotion including any that you may be attempting to hide. Pay attention to your body language – find a mirror. Are you smiling? If not, start there. Are you standing straight or are you bent over? Stand up straight – just like mum always said!
Your words may mask how you are feeling but your eyes, your face, your posture, and even your tone of voice will always give you away. Be aware of your body language and voice tone at all times and make certain they are portraying the message you want to provide.
- Energy
The energy you display at work sets the tone for your day, how others interact with you, the quality of work you produce, and so much more. Granted, some people may have a higher energy level than others but there is no excuse to be sluggish, to mope along hoping the clock will go faster, or to not make an effort to engage with others in a friendly way. Keep moving.
- Attitude
Your attitude about yourself, about life, about your workplace, your boss, your colleagues, are all contagious and will determine your energy level. The effort you put forward may even impact your work ethic.
Yes, the world can be frustrating and things may not seemingly go your way at times. You, and only you can change that, and the way you begin is to change your attitude. No one can make you sad. No one can make you mad. You can choose between a half-full glass or a half-empty glass.
Of the ten, attitude is clearly one of the most important.
- Passion
If you are not passionate about what you are doing you are probably wasting everyone’s time, including your own.
Find something else to do. You can never be great at anything unless you have passion for what you are doing. Too many people are simply going through the motions like zombies, with little emotion or enthusiasm, and clearly no passion. If you ever find yourself there try to realize this is happening to you and change it immediately.
The influence of passion is powerful and will spread across your attitude, your energy, and your body language, including everything on this list.
- Be Coachable
If you have any intent whatsoever to be successful, you must be coachable. This one is often difficult and painful for senior managers and business owners.
If you find yourself closing your mind to outside influence, new ideas or ways of going about a task, you have just shut the door on your progress and the potential greatness that lies within you will never be able to manifest.
So here is a clue – if you find yourself being a know-it-all to the point where no one else is as good as you and you think you are always right, you probably have some work to do. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- Doing Extra
If all you do is what you are asked and nothing more, you may no longer be an asset to a company. If however, you have the passion, the energy, the positive attitude about your work, doing extra will come as natural as breathing because you have pride in what you are doing. If this is missing in what you are currently doing, try going the extra mile. It will amaze you how quickly your job becomes more fun, more rewarding, and yes sense of ownership in your work comes with it.
If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well!
- Being Prepared
The Boy Scout’s motto I learnt when I first attended Cub Scouts has proven to be a truism in life. There is no good excuse to do anything and not be prepared. The only downside is that I’m not a light packer.
A chef sharpens his knives and prepares each detail of the meal before they start. An airline pilot goes through extensive pre-flight checks including a visual inspection. A surgeon is current on technique and understands the patient’s body in advance.
So should you, always be prepared regardless of your position in life. To not be prepared is to be lazy and if you are lazy by nature, then all first 9 of these successful habit tips will be a struggle for you.
Each of us has the unique ability to be, do, and have absolutely anything we wish for in the world but it will not be given to us. It is up to us as individuals. This isn’t about educational degrees, financial status in life, those may or may not help out – the real keys to success are really as simple as these ten traits.
Only you have control over your success or position in life.
Now go seize your life!