To reach the top, do what others won't
To reach the top, do what others won't
A man holds a Mexican Red-Legged tarantula.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Successful people consistently do the things that others aren't willing to do, says Rory Vaden
- If you feel yourself putting something off because you're afraid, do it anyway, he says
- Vaden argues that we must stop fixating on the here and now, and think about the big picture
Editor's note: Rory Vaden is co-founder of Southwestern Consulting and author of the New York Times bestseller Take the stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success.
(CNN) -- Getting ahead in your career is not just about being successful; it's about being noticed.
So how do you stand out
to be hired by potential employers? How do you stand out for a promotion
to a superior? How do you stand out as loyal to the people you are
leading? It's simple: do the things that others aren't willing to do.
Rory Vaden
Whether you're a leader, a
team member, or a candidate, success comes from having the discipline
to do the things that you know you should be doing, even when you don't
feel like doing them. When you practice this kind of self discipline
regularly, you'll naturally stand out from the pack -- because most
people avoid the hard stuff. It's just easier to put it off.
But the truth is that
what feels easy now creates problems down the line. And what feels hard
now -- doing the stuff you don't feel like -- makes everything easier in
the long-term. Self discipline doesn't have to be hard -- you just have
to change the way you think about it.
Successful people have
mastered the art of self discipline. I've spent the last 10 years
studying and coaching some of the most successful people in business,
figuring out what makes them different. They're not smarter or more
talented than the average person -- they just consistently do what
others aren't willing to do by keeping three principles in mind:
Fear is one of the biggest saboteurs of our goals, because it inhibits action.
Rory Vaden
Rory Vaden
Do it scared.
Fear is one of the biggest saboteurs of our goals, because it inhibits
action. The next time you feel yourself putting something off because
you're afraid -- of uncertainty or failure -- just "do it scared."
I once heard a true story
of a woman who was trapped in a burning building on the 80th floor. She
was terrified of heights and enclosed spaces, and when the fire alarm
went off, she refused to follow her colleagues into the stairwell to
evacuate to safety.
The firemen did a sweep
of the building and found her hiding under her desk, waiting to die. She
was screaming "I'm scared, I'm scared!" as the firemen insisted she
walk down the stairwell. Until one fireman said: "that's OK, just do it
scared." He repeated it all the way down the 80 flights of stairs, until
he brought her to safety.
We've all faced these
moments in our careers -- when you know what has to be done, but your
fear holds you back. In order to stand out, you must develop the habit
of acting in the face of fear. It's fine to be scared -- do it scared.
It's fine to be unsure -- do it unsure. It's fine to be uncomfortable --
do it uncomfortable. Just do something.
This is the attitude of
the most disciplined and successful people on the planet. They might be
scared, but they do it anyways. And by just doing something, you create
movement and momentum that will lead to progress and results.
Perfectionism is one of the most common reasons people procrastinate, and we've all done it at some point.
Rory Vaden
Rory Vaden
Habits, not results. Perfectionism is one of the most common reasons people procrastinate, and we've all done it at some point.
The best way to overcome
this impulse is to put your self esteem into stellar work habits
instead of results. It can take a while to see the fruits of your labor
-- whether you're spearheading a new initiative, trying to launch a
business, or planning a second act career. To keep yourself motivated,
take pride in sticking to your work habits, rather than looking for
immediate results. In time, success will follow.
Remember the big picture.
The pursuit of any goal will inevitably face a number of obstacles. The
difference between those who stand out in the careers and those who
blend in lies in what you do when you reach these critical turning
points. Do you hesitate and turn back? Or do you press forward? When you
feel frustrated, depressed, or disappointed, don't give up -- just get
some perspective.
I have a mental reminder
that helps me push past these hurdles. I hold my pen up to my eye and
stare directly down the barrel. Then, I pull it away and look at it in
its entirety. It's a quick way to remind myself to look at my life in
the same way.
Stop fixating on the
here and now, and think about the big picture. Today's challenges may
not make sense, but you must have faith that over the long-term, they
will be nothing more than blips on the radar screen. Having this
perspective and faith will help you press forward at the moments when
others turn back.
Contrary to popular
belief, people who have reached the highest levels in their careers
aren't necessarily better educated, more talented or better connected.
Neither are they simply more motivated or harder workers. Rather,
successful people have realized that getting to the top means that they
first have to do the things that they don't want to do related to their
goals.
It's not about enjoying
self discipline -- it's about adopting a few new ways of thinking that
simply make discipline easier to endure. And when you develop the habit
of doing things that others won't do, you're putting yourself on the
fast track to the route to the top.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rory Vaden
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