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Create your own stamp of personal success

This article is more than 12 months old

Take risks, manage a project and get involved

There's hope for professionals.

Of the 53,800 openings here in September last year, nearly half (48 per cent) were for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).

The Ministry of Manpower's latest job-vacancy report released on Feb 7 showed that about one in five of these openings were waiting to be filled for at least six months.

Whether it is stormy or sunny weather ahead, create or reinforce your notions of personal success. Here's what successful people think and do.

TAKE RISKS

What's the riskiest thing you have done? How often do you take risks to achieve the things you want in life? Most people are risk averse. No one likes to lose whatever they already have, so they expend a lot of energy trying to mitigate loss - but often end up doing nothing.

Taking little risk means achieving little reward. A calculated risk taker can make things happen in life, and this leads to personal success.

MANAGE A PROJECT

If you're ready for higher-level assignments, but feel you are being held back because you lack the experience of managing people, talk to your boss about ways to get that know-how.

Ask him if there is a project within your department you can manage. This will showcase your leadership skills while allowing you an opportunity to learn new skills.

If your manager doesn't give the green light, try other avenues within your company such as the human resources department or your mentor. Explain you just want to gain experience for your own career development, and how this will also benefit the company.

DISCIPLINE YOURSELF

Successful people know that if they try to do too many things, they end up doing none of them well. So they focus on doing only one or two things very well, and delegate the rest. This intense focus enables them to create something special.

CELEBRATE SUCCESS

Success builds on success, so celebrate your successes, even the small wins. Applaud the achievements of your peers too. Others will take notice, and it will mean a lot to them. You are also building goodwill and a network of support.

Do not magnify your successes or failure. Learn how to place things in perspective. A level head will take you a great distance and prevent you from stumbling unnecessarily along the way.

SLEEP AND RISE EARLY

Successful people know that when they rise early, they get more uninterrupted work done, which makes them highly productive. They also know that if they want to operate at their peak, they have to get enough sleep, so they go to bed early.

They also tend to exercise first thing in the morning to get the energy to take them through the day. And, at day's end, they review how their day went before they go to sleep, celebrate the little or big wins they had for the day.

READ BIOGRAPHIES

Zero in on those of famous business leaders, white papers for your profession, and books on people management.

Though not the direct experience that could lead to employment prospects, reading such books will inform your thinking on management principles for when you want to have that conversation with your boss and other influencers.

This article was contributed by Right Management, the global career experts within United States-listed HR consulting firm, ManpowerGroup.

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