Add These 5 Habits for Lifelong Career Success

It’s never too late (or too early) in your career to instill good habits into your work routine, and there are some basic habits for success that apply to any job or work environment you might encounter in your career.

Here are five habits to will help you build a track record of success in your life and career.

Focused, hard work. If you don’t have a practice of working hard, you’ll have a difficult time finding career success. Hard work should be the cornerstone of your work habits and should, obviously, be a given. But you can also work hard on the wrong things and it’s important to develop the ability to focus on a single task rather than allowing the distraction of multitasking.

Continuous learning. Regardless of the position you’re in, there is always room to learn more and to expand your knowledge, deepen your skill set, and expand your tool kit of expertise. This requires an attitude of humility and a commitment to seek out opportunities to learn more about your job and industry.

Positive approach. Taking a positive approach to your life by developing a habit of positive thinking and seeking out the best in others and every situation will enable you to create more success in your life and career. Others will want to work with you, and you’ll instill a sense of trust in your relationships that will build an effective and lasting network.

Seek out mentors. Successful people realize that they can not do it alone and they seek out mentors and others who they can learn from and who can be a support system along the way. Strong and successful individuals have a strong system of support, starting with a mentor who has their best interests at heart and isn’t afraid to be honest.

Attention to purpose. Lifelong career success comes from developing a clear sense of your purpose and seeking out work opportunities that fulfill that purpose. Successful people are not driven by the accumulation of wealth but seek to serve others through their skills, interests, and knowledge, and want to make a difference in the world.

Work to cultivate these habits in your work and life and you’ll be closer to having the successful career you want.

5 Work Habits to Support Your Personal Life

Our habits contribute significantly to our success in life and in our career. To be successful we need to develop the right habits that support who we want to be and the accomplishments we want to achieve.

Last week we discussed personal habits that can support you in your career. Today we look at those work habits you've developed and how they can be beneficial to your personal life.

Organization. The ability to remain organized amid complexity, chaos, and competing demands is a skill that is needed in the work place and, obviously, allows one to maintain order in your personal life when surprises inevitably come. Develop a system to remain organized at work and it can serve you well at home.

Effective listening. Demonstrating the ability to listen to others well is necessary for successful communication and builds healthy and successful relationships, both in your work situation and in your personal life. We all need to become good at listening and truly hearing others and the work place provides a great opportunity to develop this skill.

Avoiding procrastination. Developing the skill of addressing what is important without delay is critical to becoming a trusted part of your work team. It requires you to identify what is most important and addressing this task to meet the demands of your work schedule. There are always things we'd like to put off at home and learning to avoid procrastination at work can help us be more successful with these tasks in our personal life.

Never Say "It's not my job". You are a team player and are willing to take on any tasks necessary to get the job done, even if they don't fit your job description. The same is true in our personal lives: sometimes we need to take care of the garbage, paint the basement, fix the door, or do something else that we're not trained in or might tale us out of our comfort zone.

Avoid distraction. Staying focused on the task at hand, without getting distracted by coworkers or social media, is a key to success at work. This also helps our personal lives and prevents us from spending our weekend playing video games or staring at our phone when our friend or child is trying to talk to us.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 3 Tips for Finding a Mentor

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 3 Tips for Finding a Mentor: "Many people seek out the most successful person they can -- but that’s a mistake. The best mentors are not loud, outspoken and quote-ready. They’re those who gain respect among peers."
• Learn 5 Mindsets of Highly Successful People: "Successful people know they have much more control over the trajectory of their lives than others realize."
• How You Can Tell if Your Boss Appreciates You: "Your participation in important and high-profile projects is a message from your boss about your importance to her team. If you’re as involved in the action as you want to be, then you are a key player on her squad."
• 6 Habits of Managers Who Have Loyal Employees: "Ultimately, employees appreciate it when their manager makes the effort to think thoughtfully about what they have to say. Beyond the recognition gesture itself, this creates emotional connections."
• 2-Minute Habits That Will Make You Feel Better at Work: "To put this into practice in the office, each night before bed, spend two minutes identifying and writing down your top five 'non-negotiable' goals that you want to achieve the next day at work."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Essential Habits for Getting the Career You Want

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 6 Essential Habits for Getting the Career You Want: "When you are externally focused on the impact you want to have, the game changes. You become intent on results more than personal applause."
• Getting the Most Out of LinkedIn During Your Job Search: "A strategic approach to building your network will help you get much more out of this professional social media site during your job search, potentially opening the doors to your next opportunity and beyond."
• 5 Ways to Experience Flow and Get Crazy Productive: "We thrive on a healthy challenge—something that stimulates us without being so difficult that it produces anxiety or so simple that it induces boredom."
• 4 Simple Steps to Getting Twice as Much Done in Half the Time: "Therefore, the first and most important step in getting more accomplished is to focus on the few tasks that move the needle."
• The Paradox of Workplace Productivity: "It’s time to start shifting to an organizational mindset and set of tools that can provide full visibility into what work is actually getting done in aggregate, and where it does (or doesn’t) create value."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Ways to Conquer Self-Doubt

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• 6 Ways to Conquer Self-Doubt: "No matter how you may feel on a given day, believe that you are a professional with a contribution to make."


• How to Get the Most Out of Your References: "Your references can't help you if they aren't in the loop. Once you have received the green light that it is okay to use your reference you need to prep them."


• 5 tips to Accept Constructive Criticism: "Demonstrate with your words and manner that you’re sincerely open to feedback, and people will tell you what you really need to know."


• 30 Second Habits to Boost Your Career and Finances: "As soon as you pour that cup of morning joe, pinpoint your top three—and only three—most crucial to-dos for the day."


• 4 Ways to Satisfy (and Retain) Millennial Employees: "If the employee is working every weekend, it’s time for a bonus. If you really can’t afford a pay increase, look for other ways of rewarding their efforts."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Should You Hire a Life Coach?

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• Should You Hire a Life Coach?: "A good coach will help you clear blocks and reach levels of personal commitment and growth you’ve never accessed within yourself."


• Are You Sure You Want to Be a Manager?: "It’s fun to play on a bigger stage.... But new responsibilities always require the surrender of familiar pleasures. Think about your future before you give up the present."


• Dealing with Boredom and Stress at Work: "If you're feeling underwhelmed by your job, ask your superior for more responsibilities. When it comes to stress, know when to ask for help, be it from co-workers or your support network at home."


• 7 Healthy Habits to Maximize Your Productivity: "Fresh air and movement start your body and your brain off on the right foot for the day. You’ll have more energy and a clearer head."


• 2 Rules to Be Successful in Work and Life: "These four things contributed so much to my success and then when I stop doing them, I would lose everything and then have to start from scratch."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Build Your Brand Through Public Speaking

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• 3 Steps to Communicate With Confidence: "Communicating is not easy, until you are in tune with your authentic self and possess the self-awareness to position your message in a way that adds value."


• 3 Steps to Build Your Brand Through Public Speaking: "Public speaking really isn’t about you. It’s about serving your audience by giving them something of value – inspiration, information, knowledge, and validation."


• How to Handle Negative Feedback: "First, there’s no question that not interrupting and listening carefully is the right thing to do when you’re getting negative feedback."


• 6 Motivating Quotes to Help You Persevere: "Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."


• 7 Daily Habits for More Success at Work: "We instill a culture that people should work on tasks that use their core strengths ... We don't believe in wasting people's time getting them to improve their weaknesses."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 6 Daily Habits of Successful People

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below business coach Aileen Gallagher shares 6 daily habits of successful people, starting with getting physical exercise and cultivating a spirit of gratitude. Watch the video for more daily habits of successful people.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Controlling Bad Habits for a Successful Career

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Controlling Bad Habits for a Successful Career: "Create small wins. The most efficient way to make a permanent change is to focus on daily, incremental improvements."


• The Right Way to Say Thanks After an Interview: "Instead of simply expressing gratitude, a successful note builds on the interview by illustrating what the candidate can offer in addition to what was discussed."


• 3 Ways to Engage Your People in Your Company Brand: "Create a brand event or brand day and invite employees from around the company to participate. Solicit their feedback on the brand. Implement regular brand contests that support branding objectives."


• Building Confidence as a First-Time Job Hunter: "The first step is to believe you have the skills to get the job. This will boost your confidence, and it will definitely show in the interview--which is where you really have to nail it."


• Social Media Snafus to Avoid: "63 percent of recruiters have negatively reconsidered candidates based on finding profanity in their profiles. Illegal drug references top the list of content to avoid, with 83 percent of recruiters reconsidering candidates because of them."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 2 Habits of Successful People

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below, author and coach Brian Tracy discusses two important habits of successful people and how developing these habits can set you apart in your career and workplace.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Habits for Success and Eliminating Soul-Crushing Habits

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• What to Do If You Lose Your Job: "No matter how tough the economy, there are ways to stand out among the competition and start the next chapter of your life."

• The One Thing Successful People Do Every Day: "Well, here’s the one personal branding habit you can’t be too busy for."                                                      
• 6 Soul-Crushing Career Habits You Should Break Right Now: "Never underestimate the importance of what you have to contribute."


• Taking Care of Yourself, Then Business: "Make time for exercise just as you would for the most critical part of your work. You won’t be as effective, at least not for long, unless you take care of yourself first."


• Three Things that Actually Motivate Employees: "Clarity about how your products or services can improve the world provides guideposts for employees’ priorities and decisions. As part of the daily conversation, mission and purpose can make even mundane tasks a means to a larger end."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Relax, Showing Up, and Boosting Your Cred

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Relax! You'll Be More Productive: "[T]he energy employees bring to their jobs is far more important in terms of the value of their work than is the number of hours they work. By managing energy more skillfully, it’s possible to get more done, in less time, more sustainably."


• 10 Strategies for Boosting Your Online Cred: "[E]mployers are researching you online during their review process. What will they discover? You can play a significant role in creating the right first impression online if you take a proactive approach."


• The First Secret of Success is Showing Up: "But never forget that chance plays a role in finding opportunities ... It's important to be in the right place, preferably at the right time. And it's impossible to get started without first showing up."


• 20 Reasons Gen-Y Should Not Work Free: "Many employers don’t give internships any credence at all when reviewing your resumes. They figure, 'she worked for free; this job doesn’t tell me whether she was good enough to be hired'."


• These 5 Workplace Habits Are Making You Look Amateur: "When you exhibit a professional image, you increase your own confidence while simultaneously boosting the confidence others have in you and your capabilities. It's a win-win." 

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Career Plans, Networking, and Must-Read Books

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. Do You Have a Career Plan?
"So many people get caught up in the casual momentum of their career that years go by without any room for growth or new opportunities. Take control of your career destiny and develop your plan."

2. 10 Must-Have Skills and Must-Read Books for Today's Worker 
"As a job seeker, employee, and/or a business of one, you will want to develop and promote these qualities in terms that are quantifiable and meaningful to your future or current boss."

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3. Never Say No to Networking
"The best networking suggestion I can offer? Always say yes to invitations, even if it's not clear what you'll get out of the meeting."

4. 14 Bad Habits That Can Cost You Your Job
"A single bad habit is not likely to get you fired immediately, but the cumulative effect of the bad habit over time can."

5. 10 Things College Kids Must Do Now to Snag a Job Post-Graduation
"Never waste a summer. Sure, you know that interning is one way to get some job experience while still in college, but don't be afraid to take on more than one over the years of your entire college education."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 9 Things Successful People Do Differently
"It’s not surprising that getting specific about what you want to achieve is a good thing, what’s surprising is how good it is ... It turns out that you’re multiple times more likely to reach your goal if you get very specific about it."

2. 7 Things You'd Better Do If You Want to Get Promoted 
"If you want promotion you need a clear goal of where you want to be promoted to – in some companies you could be promoted to a job where you are doing the same work for more money."

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3. 8 Work Habits That Will Kill Your Career
"Your work might be fantastic, but if no one knows about it, it won't help your reputation, your salary, or your advancement opportunities."

4. Managing Risk in Career Decisions
"Any new job offer is an opportunity. But with opportunity comes risk. Deciding whether to take the new role or stay where you are is a tough choice."

5. 10 Phrases That Are Holding Your Career Back 
"How you phrase and frame your message colors the way people perceive you. The words you choose may be the difference between being thought of as problem-solver or a problem."