Career rules for greater success

These career rules separate failure from success. Follow them to get ahead Failure is not the end, but the beginning of things to come. Following simple steps can take you a long way. Here's just the plan for you. Set milestones  Everyone likes to harbour big aspirations. Not everyone is able to achieve them though. The reasons may vary. But an effective way to deal with it is to set milestones along the way. Taking on a big goal, project or idea can be too overpowering to be productive. However, breaking down the bigger idea or goal into small achievable steps can help you conquer the same no matter how insurmountable it may seem. For instance, after working for five long years, if you have decided to pursue an MBA to give your career a boost, you may start by tackling individual sections — reasoning, language — one by one. Test yourself periodically and move on to the next section when confident. This will prepare you to take the final test head on. Then you can look at larger goals of applying to the desired colleges, and finally landing yourself a job you want. Take the blame Most people take the easy way out by blaming others for their failures. However, pointing fingers at others will only let you sink deeper in the 'victim' mentality. Be a man, and learn to own up for things you have messed up. Don't wait on others  The waiting game is a career-killer. Sending out an email and waiting for a response is the perfect excuse to search funny videos for the next three hours. Don't do it. You need to be persistent and proactive with your correspondence. If that's not working, ask yourself, 'What can be done in the meantime?' or 'How can I work around them?' Don't allow yourself to rely on their diligence, because the longer you deal with others, the more you realise they just don't get things done. You have to do it yourself. Keep to-do lists  You can spend an hour trying to recall what it is you had to do. Write a list first thing in the morning, and you'll see it happen. You can even make little check boxes for when you complete the task. Get enough sleep  Pulling an all-nighter and drinking three pots of coffee are great if you're bringing the NASA shuttle back from orbit, but for most people, you're better off getting a good night's sleep. That's not an invitation to hibernate through winter so you can be productive in the spring, but never underestimate the rejuvenating powers of a solid night's sleep. Don't struggle to stay up and finish a project that might be better suited for the morning. Delegate  Just because we're not staffed like kings doesn't mean certain jobs can't be delegated elsewhere. Don't be too proud to shift certain responsibilities elsewhere. A co-worker or a family member might be able to lend a hand in times of heavy workflow. Be wary, though; 'delegating' shouldn't replace 'doing'. It's a matter of tapping into your resources for some assistance. Keep a notepad with you  You might feel like a stenographer from the 1960s when you're walking around with a notepad, but there's no denying you'll always have your story straight. If you think a pen and paper are archaic, go electronic; just make sure all your notes are in one central location. You don't want to be fumbling around a pile of post-its or reading off the palm of your hand when you need to get the official's quote from the meeting. Jot down actions, ideas, doodle your name in bubble letters. When stuck, move on to new tasks  It's easy to get fixated on a problem. The whole day slips by without anything to show for it. Hours of frustration and nail-biting aren't a good use of energy. When that begins to happen, simply move on and find an easy task to check off on your list. A couple of those and the mind is fresh, the confidence is there and you're a new man. You'll know when you're ready to get back on the horse and jump the bigger hurdle. Block out sections of your calendar for work  You don't have to be able to see into the future to know how much time a task will take; even Nostradamus couldn't predict when he'd have time to do something. Schedules fill up fast, and the most effective way to find time for a job is by blocking it in your calendar. Time is a precious commodity, and no matter how hard you try to squeeze more than 24 hours into a day, it's not happening. Optimise what you have, and you'll manage. Noon to 1 pm, send client emails; 1 pm to 3 pm, finish report, so on and so forth. Take your breaks  It's great to stay focused, but a man needs to take a break every once in a while. You can't sit in one position and finish a big project without getting up to collect yourself. The quality of your work will diminish as fatigue sets in, and before you know it, the whole machine breaks down. If you ever find yourself wanting to smash your computer into the wall and set the office on fire, take that as a sign: It's time for a tea break. You'd be amazed at what some fresh air and a cup of chai can do for you. Schedule email checks An email inbox can be like your mother's closet. It accumulates until one day it's overloaded with junk and you can't find your skis. Don't let the unread count get so high that you go wild clicking the delete button. That's how you miss something. The easiest way to manage the constant influx of mail is by scheduling check-ins. Pick one or two times a day to really clean out your inbox. Respond to the important ones, flag those that need special care and delete the ones for free prescriptions. TOI