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Emily
Student
Oxnard, California
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What habits are most important for career success ?
What habits, skills, or experiences are most important for building a successful career, and how can I start developing them now and balance motivation and life?
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Stefan Aubertin
General Manager
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San Francisco, California
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Stefan’s Answer
Universally, no matter what industry you land in, there are a few things that will bolster your chances for success. I’m sure others might have things to add to this list, but for me, these are the key four categories to start with.
Grit
This is the single most important habit for success in my opinion. It is being able to stay on the path, even when times get tough. Author Angela Duckworth wrote a great book on the topic titled "Grit" and is considered a subject matter expert. In short, "grit" means not giving up. There is more to unpack here, but the starting point lies in your state of mind or how you view the challenge. Consider choosing a helpful way to view difficulty, such as asking yourself, "What is the lesson to be learned here?" Another idea is to think of each experience as practice in building your tolerance for difficulty. One strategy for that is to break down the difficulty into smaller problems; I often find myself reflecting on the question, "What is the next right thing to do?" No need to target perfection; instead, target growth and progress, and just keep on going.
Continued Learning
Another good habit is to find ways to continue learning. This doesn't mean you need to sign up for a ton of classes, although that’s a solid choice. It can be as simple as reading a book, watching a series of instructional videos, or simply researching a topic that you discovered you don't know much about. As an aside, I suggest making this a monthly or quarterly goal to pick one realistic learning objective. Avoid trying to read 12 books a month if you know that will lead to failure. Try to pick goals that are attainable or only a slight stretch on your bandwidth. Then, just repeat. It helps to log your goals so that you can reflect on your progress and adjust as necessary.
Time Management
Something you may not be taught in school is how to manage time. I would define this as the practice of deciding what matters most: what to do now, what you can schedule for later, what you might be able to ask others to do, and what you can let go of. Said differently, you aren't just managing time, but also priorities and focus. Some helpful habits to stay focused include self-monitoring: track what you are giving attention to, and if you want to stick to your goals, ask what your intention is behind that attention (attention + intention). This habit helps me limit how much time I spend on social media, for example.
Self-Care
This one is personal. Find out what works for you and responsibly build this into your schedule. There are a ton of options, and you can pick more than one if you want. The guidelines are simple: carve out time to do things that cultivate your energy. This could be physical activity, journaling, meditating, or some other activity that allows you to take a pause from all of the things on your to-do list.
Grit
This is the single most important habit for success in my opinion. It is being able to stay on the path, even when times get tough. Author Angela Duckworth wrote a great book on the topic titled "Grit" and is considered a subject matter expert. In short, "grit" means not giving up. There is more to unpack here, but the starting point lies in your state of mind or how you view the challenge. Consider choosing a helpful way to view difficulty, such as asking yourself, "What is the lesson to be learned here?" Another idea is to think of each experience as practice in building your tolerance for difficulty. One strategy for that is to break down the difficulty into smaller problems; I often find myself reflecting on the question, "What is the next right thing to do?" No need to target perfection; instead, target growth and progress, and just keep on going.
Continued Learning
Another good habit is to find ways to continue learning. This doesn't mean you need to sign up for a ton of classes, although that’s a solid choice. It can be as simple as reading a book, watching a series of instructional videos, or simply researching a topic that you discovered you don't know much about. As an aside, I suggest making this a monthly or quarterly goal to pick one realistic learning objective. Avoid trying to read 12 books a month if you know that will lead to failure. Try to pick goals that are attainable or only a slight stretch on your bandwidth. Then, just repeat. It helps to log your goals so that you can reflect on your progress and adjust as necessary.
Time Management
Something you may not be taught in school is how to manage time. I would define this as the practice of deciding what matters most: what to do now, what you can schedule for later, what you might be able to ask others to do, and what you can let go of. Said differently, you aren't just managing time, but also priorities and focus. Some helpful habits to stay focused include self-monitoring: track what you are giving attention to, and if you want to stick to your goals, ask what your intention is behind that attention (attention + intention). This habit helps me limit how much time I spend on social media, for example.
Self-Care
This one is personal. Find out what works for you and responsibly build this into your schedule. There are a ton of options, and you can pick more than one if you want. The guidelines are simple: carve out time to do things that cultivate your energy. This could be physical activity, journaling, meditating, or some other activity that allows you to take a pause from all of the things on your to-do list.