The Power of Habits
One of the most effective ways to accelerate your career is by focusing on your habits that will surely take you from where you now are to where you want to be soon.
Understanding Habits: The Foundation of Success
Habits are what you habitually think about (thoughts); how you normally feel because of your thoughts (feelings); your behaviour arising from your feelings and, above all, how often you practice reinforcing such habits. In short, you are a sum of your habits.
The Impact of Good Habits on Personal and Professional Growth
Building on the importance of habits, good practices like taking care of your mind and body can significantly enhance your personal and professional qualities. Engaging in consistent meditation, eating healthy foods in appropriate portions and at regular times, ensuring you get enough sleep, and exercising at least four to five times a week can all contribute to a positive mindset. Additionally, maintaining a cheerful attitude in the face of challenges can foster excellent qualities that others, like interviewers, will notice when they meet you.
The Consequences of Negative Habits
In contrast, negative habits can detrimentally impact your life and career. Neglecting your mind and body, consuming junk food, sleeping excessively late, and spending all day watching TV can lead to poor mental and physical health. Additionally, being moody, easily irritated, and prone to dishonesty can make you unpopular with others, including interviewers. Such a person may find themselves in constant conflict with family, friends, and teachers, making it even more challenging to succeed.
The Importance of Cultivating Good Habits
Therefore, it’s crucial to cultivate good habits that will benefit you throughout your life. If you already have positive habits, consider adding even more. For instance, if your city has a thousand trees, imagine how much better it would be with an additional ten thousand trees. Just as increasing the number of trees can enhance the environment, developing more good habits can greatly improve your personal and professional life.
Letting Go of Bad Habits
Conversely, if you have some bad habits, it's important to let them go and replace them with healthy, beneficial ones. Making this shift can significantly improve your overall well-being and contribute positively to your life and career.
Key Insights from 'Becoming Recruitable'
In Chapter 4 of my book, ‘Becoming Recruitable’, I outline forty-two effective habits that can help you transition from your current path to one that more quickly leads to your goals. Habits serve as the vehicles for your success. Consider these insights:
1. Good habits are the keys that unlock the door to success.
2. Habits are the invisible threads that shape the fabric of our daily lives.
3. Your habits create your future; make sure they are worth pursuing.
4. While breaking a habit is challenging, it’s even harder to live with one that doesn’t benefit you.
5. The journey of change begins with the smallest of habits.
How Habits Shape Your Qualities
It's fascinating to realize that the qualities a person possesses stem from the seeds of their habits.
The Role of Qualities in Job Performance
Each job demands specific qualities to ensure effective performance, and it is these qualities that contribute to a person's expertise. For instance, a bank cashier must possess qualities such as honesty, sincerity, and diligence. Similarly, a manager should demonstrate strong leadership qualities. Some roles, particularly in customer service or complaint handling, require patience as a key quality.
A Case Study: Shan's Journey
To illustrate this point, let me share a case study: Shan was a chess player since childhood. He was a bright young man with a clear head, knew what he wanted in life and was abundantly patient that kept growing every day through practice via chess.
Shan applied for a job vacancy and was surprisingly scheduled for an interview at 7:15 AM. He arrived at the venue's reception by 7:05 AM. After his credentials were verified, he was asked to take a seat. Shan noticed he was the first one there. As the minutes passed, more candidates arrived, had their identifications checked, and took their seats as instructed. By 7:35 AM, the waiting lounge was filled with applicants, yet the interview still had not begun. Time continued to tick away.
By 8:00 AM, the receptionist approached the group and asked, "Have you all had breakfast?" Almost everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t. The receptionist then said, "We have an excellent cafeteria; you’re welcome to have breakfast before we start." Gratefully, the group made their way to the cafeteria, enjoyed a hearty breakfast, and returned to their seats in the waiting lounge by 8:30 AM. Meanwhile, time continued to pass.
By 9:00 AM, a few candidates in the waiting group began to engage in hushed conversations. Eventually, they approached the receptionist to apologize, explaining that they were running late for their current jobs. They requested to have their interviews rescheduled and then left the waiting area. Meanwhile, time continued to pass.
By 10:00 AM, the receptionist confidently approached the group, apologized for the delay, and assured them that the interview would start soon, despite the murmurs of protest about the wait. Shortly thereafter, waitstaff from the cafeteria arrived with trays of tea and cookies, and everyone began to enjoy the refreshments. As time went on, by 10:30 AM, a few candidates decided to leave, apologizing and requesting to reschedule their interviews. Meanwhile, the clock continued to tick away.
By 11:00 AM, a few more candidates who had come for the interview expressed their anger and disappointment as they left the venue. By 12:00 PM, over seventy percent of the candidates had already departed.
Around 12:30 PM, the receptionist approached the remaining candidates once more, apologizing and offering some explanations for the delay that no one seemed to pay attention to. However, what did capture their interest was an invitation to a gourmet meal at the cafeteria. The candidates eagerly accepted the tempting offer and headed off for lunch. They returned while time continued to tick away mercilessly.
After a satisfying and hearty lunch, a few candidates dozed off, only to suddenly wake up and check the time. Realizing how late it was, they approached the receptionist, and angry voices were raised in frustration. The remaining candidates then left in a huff, shaking their fists in discontent.
The clock read 5:25 PM, just five minutes before the close of business. The Managing Director of the company called the receptionist to ask how many candidates were still there. "Just one," she replied. "Send him in," the Managing Director ordered. As a result, Shan was interviewed and offered the job for a position one step higher than the one he initially applied for, along with a salary that was twenty-five percent higher.
The Managing Director was impressed with several aspects of Shan’s behaviour during the long wait: (i) his patience despite the delays, (ii) his failure to express any displeasure, (iii) his strategic decision to dine at the cafeteria to gain insight into the organization’s culture, (iv) his choice to refrain from complaining about the excessive wait, while other candidates did, (v) his productive use of the time to study the in-house magazine, even requesting earlier issues to learn more about the organization, (vi) his request for a copy of the company’s product brochure, (vii) his proactive approach in asking questions about the organization to the receptionist, and (viii) his calm demeanour throughout the wait. When it was finally time for the interview, (ix) Shan stood up with energy, ensuring that (x) his appearance and attire were in order. As he walked past the receptionist, (xi) he confirmed the name of the person he was scheduled to meet inside.
Cultivating the Right Qualities for Success
You may now have inferred that within a single quality of patience lies layers of other exceptional qualities, as we learned from the case of Shan.
Share Your Thoughts
What qualities would you like to cultivate? I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this article, or send me a note at: connect@ash-nan.com
I would be happy to write an article to help you achieve the qualities that matter most to you.
Best wishes,
About the Author
A multifaceted mentor, certified Life Coach, and guiding light for individuals of all ages, including children. With expertise in Hypnotherapy, Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and EFT/TFT techniques, Ash empowers successful individuals to reach new heights. As a certified Kundalini Yoga Third-Eye Practitioner, he blends ancient wisdom with modern strategies. Passionate about supporting first-time jobseekers, Ash Nan crafted the transformative program "Finishing Touch," ushering many students into fulfilling careers. Author of two insightful books, including the recent "Becoming Recruitable," Ash invites you to explore his work further at www.ash-nan.com and www.ashnan.cts.com.