Everyone wants to get ahead in the world. However one does it, there is one thing that will help every person to get ahead in whatever it is that s/he does. What could possibly be so universal that it can help in whatever career one is in? Simple: goal setting.
Goal setting isn’t simply saying that you want to have $100,000 or master playing the guitar, or learn to speak perfect French. It’s outlining specific ways to accomplish whatever your goal is. This has to be done on a yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily basis. Start with your bigger goals. Choose as many as you wish to start with, then break it down to the top two or three. Rank them. Then you have to figure out what you must to in the next three years to figure out the best way to reach the top goal. You may have to sacrifice one or more of your other goals. Are you willing to do that?
Once you have your yearly task written down, you will have to break this down into monthly and then weekly goals. Every day, from then on. The daily tasks should be ranked as to the most important (urgent) down to the least important (nice to have down). Transfer those you don’t complete to the next day’s list. If you diligently keep to your tasks that are oriented directly towards your larger goals, then you will complete those goals.
What is it that you have to do in order to master that skill you want, for example? How many hours per day? And is mastery what you are really searching for, or is getting reasonably accomplished? For example, if you choose to study a martial art, mastery can take many years. Mastery means that there are few people in the world who compete at your level. You are maybe one in 100,000 or one in a million practitioners (this is of practitioners, not of the general population). People who are at this level dedicate years of their lives to the art. However, if you want to become good, not just competent, then this is not so strenuous or time-consuming. Most “black belts” are at this level. Yes, they still spend hundreds of hours and many years. But their lives are not dedicated to the same extent. What level are you looking at in your goals?
Your career can be one of these goals, too. To improve, you will need to have specific tasks on your list that relate to your career goals. And you will have to actually do them! This may mean getting up earlier. It may mean less partying, TV or sports. Most certainly if you want to get ahead, there will have to be some sacrifices. We only have so much time in our lives. Therefor, each person has to make the best of that time, and not waste in activities that are not productive to furthering their goals. I’m not saying this has to be 24 hours a day. But it certainly has to be more than most people are doing in their lives.
Keep your long term goals in mind and the reasons why you want them to come true. That will help you to accomplish the tasks you need to and to allow you to make those sacrifices that you must. You can do it! I know, I was one of those who preferred TV and movies and hanging out with my friends, until I realized what I was truly giving up by doing those activities. Think about it. Then you’ll find the motivation you need!