What is it that makes people successful? 8 career bosses reveal their secrets to being successful and satisfied.
1) Never get comfortable
Sophia Amoruso
Founder of Nasty Gal
“When I have gotten comfortable, I look back on those moments and I know now that I was really diluted then,” she says. “It’s not that I can’t take a break here and there, but you should always be learning new stuff, which is fun.”
2) Love what you do
Oprah Winfrey
Media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist.
Would you work on this thing for free? Do you love your work so much you would not mind if you were not paid to do it. This is one of the most common traits of successful people. They follow their passion and do what they love, money and success just follow. If you can find something that you are passionate about, something that comes naturally to you and would never get tired or bored of, you will have a very good chance of success.
3) Hustle
Gary Vaynerchuk
Entrepreneur, investor, author, public speaker, and internet personality
“When you have passion around something, you’ll do whatever it takes to execute on it. You’ll work and grind away until you’ve squeezed every last bit of juice out of that ‘lemon.’”
Hustling is putting every minute and all your effort into achieving the goal at hand. Every minute needs to count. Wake up before everybody else and work those long hours. Emotionally and executionally, make the commitment to yourself and to your legacy that you’re willing and ready to go ALL-IN.
Read more about Vaynerchuk and his Dublin seminar here.
4) Develop better sleep habits
Arianna Huffington
Co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution
Huffington fully understands how difficult it is to get enough sleep, how tough it is to wind down, and how hard it is to fall asleep and stay asleep, even when we set aside enough time.
“I call sleep deprivation “the new smoking.” Unfortunately, the comparison is apt, both in terms of the dangers and our attitude. Everywhere you turn, sleep deprivation is glamorised and celebrated, from “You snooze, you lose” to highly burned-out people boasting, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” The combination of a deeply misguided definition of what it means to be successful in today’s world—that it can come only through burnout and stress—along with the distractions and temptations of a 24/7 wired world, has imperilled our sleep as never before.”
5) Get up early
Robert Iger
Disney CEO
“Successful people do not stay in bed until 2 p.m. on a Sunday. Or even 11 a.m. Research shows that our brains are sharpest two and a half to four hours after waking. Get up early on a weekend and you’ve got a head start on the rest of the world.”
6) Stay active
Anna Wintour
Editor-in-chief of Vogue
Wintor commits to playing tennis for one hour every day. And she’s not the only big-shot making time for exercise. Successful people know the importance of an active body for an active mind.
8) Keep a notebook
Karlie Kloss
Super Model and founder of Kode with Klossy, coding camps for young women
Kloss’ secret to productivity is refreshingly simple but effective, “I keep a notebook of the things I need to get done in a day, week, month along with my overarching goals—whenever I have a couple of moments on set or on a plane, I work on ticking off my to-do list.”
7) Prioritise what’s important
Steve Jobs
Co-founder & CEO of Apple Inc and CEO of Pixar
When diagnosed with a pancreatic tumour, Jobs realised what was most important in life.
“Things don’t have to change the world to be important. Weekends are the time to remind yourself of the forgotten little things — to keep your work-life harmony (the new ‘balance’) in check and reset if needed. Spending time with your friends, children or partner might not directly increase profits that day or propel you into the limelight, but that doesn’t make it any less important.”
8) Take risks & think long-term
Liz Wessel
Co-founder of WayUp
Former Google employee and a startup CEO, at the age of 26 Wessel knows a thing or two about climbing the career ladder.
“Your 20s are for figuring out who you are—so don’t be afraid to take risks, bounce around, travel, and try new things. I say ‘yes’ to as many new opportunities and projects as possible, and it has paid off every time so far.”
Her second best piece is, “don’t chase money, chase happiness.” Wessel believes that your 20s are the time to focus on choosing a career and securing a job that you will be happy doing for years to come. “You should be focused on finding an industry or career that you really enjoy,” Wessel adds. “If you just optimise for salary or prestige in the short-term, you’re potentially be selling out the rest of your life, so start doing what you love as soon as you can.
