One, forget about work-life balance. Focus on what matters and what adds value to you.
Two, work smart and hard. But do not overwork to impress those who don’t care.
Three, say yes to everything then figure it out later. We always learn from the unknown to the known.
Four, employers love people who make their lives easier. Nobody employs you to make their lives difficult.
Five, your best career hack will be the partner you choose to marry. Marry someone you are ready to spend the rest of your life with. Someone who will support you.
Six, get yourself in as many difficult situations as possible. Then swim through them without jeopardizing your career.
Seven, if you want a promotion, do the job. Do not bribe. Do not badmouth others. Do not use sex. Just do the job.
Eight, you are paid for value not hours. No matter the difficulty, show up and work. It will help you grow.
Nine, make yourself irreplaceable. Be the one who makes things happen. The engine that when it is off, nothing moves. Be the hardworking one.
Ten, train others what you do best, even if you won’t be paid anything for the training so that when the time comes for you to move on, you leave a name behind for yourself.
Eleven, don’t take everything personally. 98 percent is not about you. 10 percent is what we hear, and 90 percent is how we react.
Twelve, when it is about you, choose how you are going to respond. Do not show your emotions openly, it will expose your weaknesses.
Thirteen, do not share too much about your career life. 10 percent in the room won’t care. 50 percent will be taking notes on how to bring you down. The year will want you dead.
Fourteen, 20 percent of your focus determines 80 percent of your results. Focus on whatever task you are given and bring out the best results.
Fifteen, have a beginner’s mindset. Be teachable. There are things you do, and there are those you don’t. Be ready to learn. You are not always the smartest in the room.
Sixteen, be humble and curious. This will open more doors for you. People shouldn’t see you as a threat, but as someone who can help them grow.
Seventeen, if you come up with problems, have the solutions. Do not be that wheel at work that breaks down when it is needed the most.
Eighteen, nobody loves a whiner. Do not always complain about things. At times, surprise your people with solutions. Do not be a whiner.
Nineteen, do not be too attached to your job but be too attached to your career. At one point, your job will end, the employer will let you go, and you will only have your career to fall back to.
Twenty, most of your workmates are not your friends. They will forget you as soon as you are gone. Focus on your career, and your family.
Twenty-one, have friends who will grow you, not those who will want you to remain where they are. Avoid friends who become jealous when you advance in your career.
Twenty-two, learn when and how to ask. Your voice matters when asking a question, your timing matters when seeking answers.
Twenty-three, listen. You learn more by listening than by talking. That is what you have two ears and one mouth.
Twenty-four, have friends in higher places. They will come through at one point. Do not be the friend at a higher place where everyone comes for help.
Twenty-five, live within your means. Do not let peer pressure lead you into overstretching the little you have. Be happy with what you have and live within it.
Twenty-six, do not compete with anyone. Not everyone is worth your competition. Use your education and knowledge to know who to compete against. Do not waste time competing against fools.
Twenty-seven, know when to quit. Do not hold on when you know it is not going to work. That is a waste of time. Quit and start over.
Twenty-eight, do not overstay at one employment forever. Some of your employers might think you have nowhere else to go and start abusing your loyalty.
Twenty-nine, read books of those who didn’t make it in life. Most of them tell more truth than those who succeeded.
Thirty, do not stay at a place where you are not respected. Be at the table where respect is replicated.
Thirty-one, know your worth. Never undervalue yourself.
Thirty-two, good looks might open great doors for you, but your character will determine how long you stay behind those doors.
Thirty-three, dress smartly. 90 percent will judge your appearance before they can hear you out, including those who hold your key to success. Do not give them an excuse for not taking you seriously.
Thirty-four, always focus on a win-win situation. Do not give more than what is given back.
Thirty-five, understand those around you. Know how they speak and what they think of you and your career.
Thirty-six, headphones and good music will save you a lot of problems at work. You will only speak when spoken to.
Thirty-seven, do not reveal your intentions to everyone. Someone might use it to bring you down.
Thirty-eight, be careful around people who are always the nicest at work, people who neither show nor do any harm. Be careful around them.
Thirty-nine, do not rush to conclusions. Listen, weigh, then act. If it is not worth acting upon, let it lie.
Forty, if you call someone three times and they don’t pick up, stop disturbing them. If you text them and they bluetick you, stop disturbing them.
Forty-one, when things go well, give credit to your team. When things go wrong, take part in owning the blame.
Forty-two, it is not what happens that matters, but how you react to what matters. Weigh your reactions always.
Forty-three, praise your team in public. Criticize and blame them in private. This will motivate them more.
Forty-four, introduce your team with pride. Do not make them feel less important when introducing them to friends and business associates.
Forty-five, plan tomorrow today. Do not leave your workstation without planning for the following day.
Forty-six, show up early every day. This will help you plan and figure out the rest of the day.
Forty-seven, always start with the big tasks. By the time your mind is stretched, start working on smaller ones.
Forty-eight, do not multitask. You will only get tired, confused, and burnt out. Focus on one thing at a time.
Forty-nine, minimize meetings if you can. Only attend meetings that will add value to your career and your business. Stop wasting time in useless meetings.
Fifty, have an open mind when handling everything. There is always time to grow.
