How To Have A Successful Working Career

Living A Determined Professional Life 

Mark Sutherland, a business coach in New Zealand and former Olympic Gold Medal coach, says there are three components to a successful work career ── enjoyment in what you do, being productive and doing something meaningful.

Since a great many people spend the vast majority of their waking hours either working or thinking about work, having these three key components front and center will certainly enhance the chances of developing a successful and satisfying working career.

We have reached a juncture in the development of the world where it is time to question whether too much attention is paid to economic growth and commerce. Many years ago, the line "It's the economy, stupid" helped Bill Clinton win the United States Presidency. Today, one almost feels like a presidential candidate should be shouting "It's society and our people" at his or her opponent. But until that day is reached, your professional life is likely to remain utmost among your concerns and short-term desires.

So how do you do something meaningful that you enjoy while being productive? The first step is to always bring your A-Game with you. A true professional is one who can do their best even at times when they do not particularly feel like it.

The second step is to be people focused. Far too many organizational leaders focus on tracking the outcomes of profit and customer satisfaction scores. These measurements, however, are actually byproducts of staff development, reliable products and quality customer service delivery. 

As Henry Ford said, "A business that only makes money is a poor business." A good business is one that raises the skill levels of its employees and makes pertinent contributions to its community or society at large.

The third step in meeting the success criteria laid out by Sutherland is to port your personal life characteristics and personal values into your professional life. Research shows that those whose working lives mirror or encapsulate their personal values are generally more productive and happiest with their professional lives.

For, as author and leadership trainer Steven Howard notes, "When people go to work they should not be required to leave their values at home." 

If the values of your working environment clash with your personal values, removing yourself as quickly as feasible from that working environment is mandatory for your spiritual, physical and emotional health (and growth). You are not likely to find enjoyment, be productive or consider your work to be meaningful in an environment where the values are not in sync with your personal values.

Additionally, if you cannot live your passions through your work, then you absolutely must find a way to pursue your passions on the side. Allowing your professional life to bury your personal passions is neither spiritually healthy nor rewarding. 

Living your passions through your work. Now that's the definition of Living A Determined Professional Life. 

Lastly, beware of the evil trap of, as Jackson Browne eloquently put it, "going in search of the legal tender." 

This article is partially excerpted from our top-ranked personal development book Project You: Living A Determined Life, which is available in Kindle and paperback formats at Amazon.