There is no question that working hard pays off. Effective people work hard and make things happen.
To be effective, you must:
Always start with a goal. Effort without genuine purpose is just effort. Effective people don’t just know what to do; they know why. They have a long-term goal. They have short-term goals that support the long term goal. Remarkably effective people set their goals first. Decide what success means to you. Your definition of success may be different than everyone else’s. And that is okay. You will find it easier to stay focused and be effective when you truly care about what you hope to achieve.
Believe in yourself. Hard work and diligence are not easy. Pushing forward when successes are few and far between takes optimism and self-belief. That is why busy people quickly give up, and effective people keep going. Effective people embrace the fact that the only way to get to where they want to go is to try and keep trying.
Believe you are in control. Effective people don’t hope for good luck or worry about bad luck. They assume success is totally in their control. They waste zero time and mental energy worrying about what might happen to them; they put all their effort into making things happen. They know they can’t control luck, but they can always control themselves.
Create a plan. A goal is great for planning and mapping out what success looks like to you. A plan is great for actually making progress toward that goal. Effective people know a goal can provide direction and even push them forward in the short term, but eventually a well-designed plan will always win. Everyone has goals; committing to a plan makes all the difference in achieving that goal.
Find happiness in the success of others. Great companies are made up of employees who help each other, know their roles, set aside their personal goals, and value team success over everything else. Attitude is everything. Focus only on yourself and eventually, you will be by yourself. To be effective, find fulfillment in helping other people succeed. In the process, you will succeed to, in more ways than one.
Use your goals to make decisions automatically. Effective people apply the same framework to the decisions they make. “Will this help me reach my goal?” If not, I won’t do it. If you feel like you’re constantly struggling to make decisions, take a step back. Take a breath and think about your goals. Your goals will help you make decisions. When you know what you truly want, most of your decisions can and should be almost automatic.
Focus. Effective people focus on one thing at a time. They do that one thing incredibly well, then move on to whatever is next. And then they do that task incredibly well.
Embrace “random.” Effective people stay on task. They build in time and opportunity to experience new things, try new methods, and benefit from happy mishaps. They are not always trying to reinvent the wheel, but they are more than happy to adopt someone else’s perfectly functioning wheel.
Ask for help. Effective people ask for help not just because they need help but also because by asking they show respect and trust in another person for their experience, skill, or insight. Mutual respect is the foundation of every solid relationship, and the best way to create mutual respect is to first show respect.
What makes you effective? Find joy in the hard work and see where it takes you.
xoxo, Jane Anne
