I love hearing about women’s successes, especially from those most unlikely to succeed. Some women are rocket ships. They excel at work, become Chief Executive Officers, and lead hundreds of employees to unbeatable success. And some of these women come from very humble beginnings, some of which may be shocking.
So, how can we become more successful, especially as it concerns our study life and careers? Here’s what I think it takes.
Successful women reward themselves for their effort and achievements. They may spend weekends on skills development, a new wardrobe, an exercise routine, a seminar in the Bahamas, and other rewards that simultaneously advance their careers. Go ahead, my lovely, and indulge in such rewards.
Top performing women don’t waste time, either. Instead, they work consistently. Working evenings and weekends for the sheer pleasure signals that ambitious women tapped into their passions. They love the feeling of getting ahead and over delivering. They love using free time to acquire missing skills. Work becomes a tempo, a continual effort that becomes less of a habit and more of an addiction.
Women living the dream tap into their passions, too. They take note of all the careers they ever wished they could pursue and bundle them into one dream job. For instance, the woman who loves networking, marketing, acting, and teaching, may work well wearing many hats, for instance, within a company that provides online courses. Blend your desires into one career to pique your passions.
Women who achieve success tend to invest in themselves. When they run into roadblocks, especially if the women are inexperienced, they seek multiple solutions. They pay for courses, buy hours of consulting, pay for checklists, seminars, conferences, and books—anything to take them to the next level. They may reinvest half their salaries into bettering their job skills. They may also go out of pocket to purchase performance enhancing software tools. They seek every edge. The more women invest in themselves, the faster they reach the goal.
Women who tend to succeed work well with others. They encourage others and strive to boost others’ career prospects. A friend once said she’d never end up in an executive role because she’s a misanthrope—she dislikes people. In other words, the women who truly achieve the heights know how to charm others, make others feel valued, and boost others’ self-esteem. One successful woman I know advised, “Believe in others until they believe in themselves.” And I once saw an interview with Walmart’s CEO. What a lovable, caring, down-to-earth soul. I believe even the most cynical women can become beloved leaders by simply caring about others.
Lastly, successful women never quit. They stay fixed on the goal. Should one door close, they work steadfastly to open another.
Success doesn’t just come to perfect people either. We could be severely disabled, filled with addictions, living in a homeless shelter—and still have the ability to reach the top. When my editor posted a photo of a chess board pawn with the shadow of a king, he spoke to the core of me: we truly have no limits, every one of us, no matter our backgrounds, from my point of view.
