9 Work Habits to Be Successful

A man arriving late to a meeting.
In everything you do, you have to be prepared. Being prepared is the only way to succeed; being unprepared is usually the reason for failure. (Image: Pressmaster via Dreamstime)

A person’s success happens for a reason. If you want to be successful in the workplace, you must first know how to be responsible to yourself, have good living habits, and do things smoothly

9 habits for a successful career

1. Punctuality

To become more punctual, set your watch, mobile phone, wall clock, and any other timepieces around you to be five minutes fast. You will find that in the morning, you will no longer rush to work with disheveled hair, and you will never have to face the embarrassment of opening the door to a meeting to find your manager is already sitting inside waiting for you. There are still 24 hours in a day, and the workload is still the same, but because of these five short minutes, your mood will be calmer, you will become more confident, and you will appear to be more professional.

2. Efficiency

It is not a good use of time to complain to your manager that there is just too much work to do nor to skip some of your break time to try to get through all your tasks. What you need is to spend five minutes at the beginning of the day coming up with a list of things to do for the day and then putting the work in order of priority. By prioritizing your tasks based on their importance and urgency and setting reminders, you can keep your work organized and systematic.

3. Growth

Asking yourself questions like what you are doing that is or is not working will help you be successful.
Asking yourself questions like what you are doing that is or isn’t working will help you be successful. (Image: Stevanovicigor via Dreamstime)

Giving yourself some quiet reflection time every day is a way to gradually refine your character. Persistence in this practice can significantly enhance your professional journey. Note that these moments should be used to introspect and self-evaluate, not to complain.

4. Learning

We all spend a considerable amount of time waiting each day. Why not bring a book to read when waiting for the subway? Use any idle time to study, recharge, update your knowledge, and keep your thoughts centered.

5. Optimism

Be more resilient to depression and pain. Frequently crack jokes to keep yourself smiling. When a smile blooms, your mood suddenly brightens, and the courage to persist returns to your heart.

6. Empathy

Empathy and gratitude will undoubtedly bring about a positive cycle in interpersonal relationships. Whether just in your own thinking or when you communicate with others, developing the habit of starting with “we” instead of “I” and using “please” and “thank you” more will lead to understanding others better, and communication and cooperation will become much smoother than before. The reason is simple: The way you treat others is the way they will treat you.

7. Etiquette

Having a ready smile for everyone will reflect well on you and your organization.
Having a ready smile for everyone will reflect well on you and your organization. (Image: Kostiantyn Voitenko via Dreamstime)

In an office, there will always be some new faces. Maybe they are visiting guests, colleagues from other departments, or even family members of the boss. When you meet them, do you pass by with a blank face, or do you nod and smile at them? If the latter, within those few seconds the other party will give you a score for your upbringing as well as the department or company’s culture. Therefore, develop the good habit of smiling at others! Being warm to others will also make you shine.

8. Professionalism

Prepare for the next day before going to bed at night. Set out your clothing and pack everything you will bring with you. Then you will show up at the office on time with a capable and elegant image. Also keep your work area clean and in order. This shows that you care about the job, and it will keep you serene and calm at work.

9. Health

Nine out of 10 people in the workplace will be troubled by problems in the wrist, waist, neck, and back. As long as you develop some good habits, your body discomfort will be greatly reduced. Doing morning exercises every day, standing up and moving around every one to two hours, and doing some simple stretches during the day will keep you limber, help speed up your metabolism, and avoid fat caused by being too sedentary.

Translated by Patty Zhang

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  • David Jirard

    David was born in the Midwestern section of the U.S. during the turbulent sixties. At an early age he took an interest in music and during high school and college played lead guitar for various local bands. After graduating with a B.A. in Psychology, he left the local music scene to work on a road crew installing fiber optic cable on telephone poles in various cities. After having to climb up a rotted pole surrounded by fencing, he turned to the world of I.T. where he now shares laughter with his wife and tends to his beehives in between writing articles on Chinese culture and social issues.

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