If you’ve achieved any kind of success at work — and we know you have! — you can easily achieve more. All it takes is a thoughtful look back and an action-oriented look forward.
First, pick out one of your bigger successes from the work you’ve done in your current workplace.
It doesn’t have to be some Nobel Prize equivalent — just an accomplishment that rises high on your list of “very well done.”
Here are some wide-ranging examples to get you thinking:
You had a breakthrough conversation with your manager.
You assembled the perfect group for a given assignment.
You came up with an idea and carried it through to fruition.
You gave colleagues a new way to understand an old situation.
You made connections with people in other work units.
You helped a customer in a major way.
You took it upon yourself to attend training and use new skills.
Once you have a specific success in mind, think it through with these three prompts:
What was the very first thing you did to set in motion the chain of events that led to your accomplishment? Even though other people might have been involved, focus on yourself and what you did. Fill in the blank: I set things in motion by _____.
That first step is crucial. But what is one other thing you did that seemed essential to your success? Fill in the blank: Another key action on my part is that I _____.
What are you glad that you didn’t do in this situation? Fill in the blank: If I had _____, I never would have achieved this success.
Now step back and realize this: You played the key role in making this success happen. Other people might have helped, and the planets might have lined up in helpful ways, but your actions made the difference.
As for the specifics of what you did, think about your fill-in-the-blank responses. You had a past-tense mindset for this exercise, but turn forward now and look ahead. What do your answers tell you about how you should go about your work in the future?
Fill in the blank: I will achieve more success in the future as long as I _____.
Your answer is some of the best advice you’ll ever get. Put it to work starting now.
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