What is Success at Work?
“Success:
the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame.” –
merriam-webster.com
Can success be
measured or is it a personal goal we set for ourselves in order to perform to
the maximum of our capabilities? If so,
when do we even know if what we’re doing would be considered success? We measure success by our own standards and
what we hope to achieve in the process.
Some reasons to thrive at work are to potentially make more money, to
become noticed in order to develop your career or even for your own personal
satisfaction to provide the best effort possible. But why doesn’t everyone want to succeed? There are flaws in our character that set us
back, allowing us to blame our lack of motivation on sources we claim to have
no control over. But we do have control
on our motivation to strive for higher goals.
We have to learn to separate our frustrations with self-growth and
accept that we need to better ourselves and that our work drives to continue
progress at work.
Most
of the time, we blame the reason for our lack of success on sources we claim to
have no control over. Between wanting
overnight achievement, becoming complacent with where we are, or blaming our
own habits for not pushing ourselves, we settle for where we currently are. We decide we are content with what we’ve
achieved, therefore have no motivation to push ourselves to set yet another
goal. James Caan, an entrepreneur, says,
“There is an old saying that says if you’re standing still, you’re going
backwards.” If you’ve grown used to
where your position is, why are you a valuable asset to the team? Employers are always seeking people that have
motivation, and are always looking to improve, not only themselves, but also
their work. We blame where we are at
work on factors, but the fact is, we control where we are. We chose the job we have, therefore we need
to apply ourselves to that job, even if it may not be our career or even
something that interests us, or a long-term position. We are, subsequently, a part of that team, therefore
we have to support with the team.
As a
part of a work team, we have to go beyond what we are accustomed to, and become
an important player to our job. We crave
instant gratification; therefore, if it isn’t given immediately, we tend to
consider ourselves not of value, ultimately setting ourselves up for
failure. Success does not come
overnight. We have to work for what we
want in the long term, and with that hard work and commitment, acknowledgments
will come, as well. We have to become indispensable
to our company. Corporations do not seek
employees that are content. Employers seek
people that are going to bring in business and work to the best of their
capabilities. If a person is working
their hardest for a company, then that effort is shown. Although it may take time to become noticed,
hard work will always supersede any other options.
We also blame our lack of
success on our abilities to not be as social as we are capable of be at
work. We tend to introvert ourselves and
use that to blame for not connecting with coworkers or for keeping to ourselves
when all others are united. At work,
everyone is part of the same circle, and you rely on one another in order for
the business to thrive. Without each
other, we have no one to rely on at work; we are constantly assisting in
developing our work. We blame that
shyness as a reason as to why we cannot succeed, instead of turning into yet
another goal for us to overcome. As
opposed to communicating strictly through email or other forms of technology,
we need social interaction to form ideas from one another. Happiness is the key to success, and
therefore we need social interaction in order to flourish. Also, sitting with a diverse group instead of
alone helps stimulate our mind in order to better formulate ideas and
creativity. This leads to better output,
and more ideas shown to leads, expressing higher interest.
Success is a matter that
we do have control over. The more we
push ourselves to become successful, the more we grow in our skills and become
a better team player. And with that, we
become noticed and motivated. With that,
we become of value to our employers and our company. In another article, James Cann also states, “Take time every day to analyze what
you've done, how well it worked, and where you can improve.” In order to be successful, we constantly have
to evolve our motivations and ourselves.
We have to be proactive and continue our development- not content with
one task done right. We have to expand
ourselves from what we’re accustomed to.
We also have to take ownership of our actions at work. If we aren’t giving our work our full
potential, then we need to notice that within ourselves and figure out why we
are giving less than our full attention.
In this, we have to prioritize what has to be done first, and what can
wait to be done. Setting goals as to
what must come first and executing is leading- therefore taking rein of our
situation. We have to honestly assess
the quality of work we’ve produced thus far, and how we can improve upon that
for the future. Personally, I always
prepare myself for anyone to assess my output at work; therefore I ensure that
I’m providing quality the first time around.
If I need improvement upon that, I know that it’s development into
making me a more improved associate.
Caan also states, “..having the right attitude
does not come about by accident; it comes from establishing the very best working
practices and habits.” We have to
improve upon our mentality and know what we can change in order to do even
better for the next assignment. We have
to honestly criticize ourselves to develop and reflect on what more can be done. Also, we need to go into work everyday with a
positive mindset and the notion that we are going to succeed and not just get
by. Our happiness is determined by the
choices we make for our work and for ourselves. We need to decide to put forth our best
effort. Ken Warren, a relationship
specialist says, “..they
appreciate that their happiness is not determined by the absence of challenging
circumstances at work.” We have to
decide to go into work with positivity and not let variable interfere with
that. Ultimately, our happiness shapes
our work motivation. If we are happier
at work, we will produce better quality of work.
I
think we set our own bar for success, and that bar has to grow everyday. We have to be our own superior, mentally, and
act as though we are running our own business and reflect on how we would want
that business to be run. We have to
change our mindset to allow ourselves to think that we are the leader and how
we would want our own associates to act, therefore leading by example. Business is an ever-changing event that is
constantly evolving. In order to be
successful, we have to evolve with it.
In that, our tasks have to improve, as well as our mindset. We can no longer be content with mediocre
work, but produce our best effort to show.
We have to always imagine that we can be scrutinized at any moment,
therefore ready to support what we’ve produced thus far. Focusing on tasks that are of more importance,
as well. I’ve learned, through personal
experience, that we always have to give our work our full effort because
overnight, we can be promoted to a position we weren’t expecting. Although satisfaction isn’t always
instantaneous, it is comforting to know that someone is always admiring your
effort delivered at work. Sometimes we
feel as if no one will ever notice the work we put into our jobs, but it will
eventually pay off in a better position or higher pay. And higher pay is always a positive
motivation as to why one should work harder.
Money is what we strive for, therefore should apply the necessary
adjustments to make that our focus and goal.
And in the end, your leaders notice and that is how you develop and grow
through a corporation.
Succeeding does
not come with a manual as to what the standard may be. We create that standard within our own
personal goals and with what we hope to achieve, whether it be at a temporary
job or our possible career. Success
cannot be measured, but is standardized by the accomplishments we’ve already
achieved thus far. One can never become
comfortable with where they are currently at in their position because
superiors are on a constant search for individuals that express their desire to
learn and develop. It’s important to understand
that at work, we are always developing; therefore we need to constantly set new
goals to achieve and conquer in order to grow.
Without those goals set, we become just another pawn in the workforce,
disposable when another comes along that would be better. In order to ensure our job security, we have
to develop and constantly improve and ensure that we continue to be focused and
motived. Ultimately, leaving us noticed and
ready to face more extreme tasks in order to continue our development.
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