Ideas to make money – we're always hunting them down, always looking for a quick buck.
The big problem with this though is that it's thinking in the short term. We seldom wonder about how to get ahead in our careers and make money in the long term.
That's the topic of today's article – how improving your performance in your field can get you noticed, promoted, and making more money.
- Be A Top Performer.
- Never Rest On Your Laurels.
- Build A Network – Promote Yourself.
- Deep Work Vs. Shallow Work.
- Linchpin Positioning.
- Strategically Volunteer.
- Maintain Professional Boundaries.
- Prioritize Your Tasks.
- Meet Your Deadlines.
- Make Your Boss Obsolete.
1. Be a Top Performer
Firstly, performing seems like an obvious tip, but there's more to it than simply doing your job. It has a lot more to do with working smart and zeroing in on what maximizes results.
Here are a few examples:
- Focus on strengths. Identify not only your own but those of your co-workers. It's especially important for leaders so they can strategically place their employees.
- Hold yourself accountable. Never blame others – a good performer recognizes his own mistakes and moves on. You may not believe it, but bosses notice this.
- Improve your skills. Continued education is essential in order to own your part in the company.
- Actively seek out feedback. There's always room for improvement.
2. Never Rest On Your Laurels
When it comes to ideas to make money, some of the best advice I can give you is to stay on the move.
High performance alone doesn't guarantee success. In order to get noticed, you need to adapt well to changes in the workplace. It's also important to take measured risks. You need to be hungry and make sure others see it.
Most importantly, know that your credentials aren't enough. If you have a degree, that's great – but you need to hustle as well.
3. Build Your Network
We'd love to live in a world that isn't about who you know, but unfortunately, this isn't the case.
A 2014 article from the Stanford University Business School outlined networking as amongst the most essential skills for success. It's key to make meaningful changes and ensure that your own achievements are recognized.
So, how do you go about this?
- Don't waste time. Research from the University of Chicago showed that being even one step behind the person in the know can severely reduce your probability of success.
- Find mutual interests for an easier connection.
- Always be specific – outline your requests and goals clearly to others.
- Establish diversity – connect with various people from different industries, locales, and professions.
4. Work Deep, Not Shallow
The difference in your work performance can come down to how meaningful you make your tasks.
If you do shallow work, your tasks actually don't mean much to the company. What you're doing is probably easy to replicate, and this makes you expendable.
Men who work deeply contribute in a manner that isn't just hard to imitate, but pushes the capabilities of the company and is free of all distractions. Cultivating a “deep work” environment allows you to immerse yourself in the task and give it your all each time.
Try ritualizing your tasks – some people will establish absolute silence or put on their favorite Spotify playlist. Experiment, and discover what brings your work to the next level.
5. Linchpin Positioning
Need ideas to make money? Make yourself indispensable. It doesn't only matter to your success, but your emotional health too.
A 2017 Harvard Business School study found that “linchpin employees” were significantly happier than their unessential counterparts. Surveying over 700 participants revealed that the more they felt their job made a difference to the company, the better they felt working there.
If you make yourself indispensable, your wallet and mind will be happy.
6. Always Volunteer… Strategically
It's always good to join in on more work. Doing so demonstrates that hunger that I mentioned earlier.
However, don't do it blindly.
Focus in on taking on work that makes efficient use of your time. Choose optional assignments that further your own goals directly, benefit your network, or are more essential to the company.
7. ALWAYS Have Boundaries
This may seem obvious to most guys, but loads of us allow ourselves to have more work thrust upon us that we don't want.
Establish clear boundaries with your superiors.
Remember that your mental well-being is good for both you and the company. If you own your time and recognize your limits, you'll be a much stronger asset than if overworked yourself and failed.
8. Triage & Prioritize your Tasks
Here are some ways you can consolidate your work – even if there's a lot of it:
- List all your tasks – identify what's more urgent.
- Assess the tasks based on the highest value they provide to the company.
- Order them by the estimated effort they'll take to accomplish.
- Be realistic about what you can accomplish and adapt to schedule changes.
9. Meet Deadlines At All Costs
Without deadlines, there would be no civilization. No matter where you are – whether it's at school, looking up flights, or at work, deadlines are omnipresent.
If you fail to meet them, consequences will follow.
Deadlines should be clearly established between you and your boss. Here's how:
- Care about deadlines – make them forefront in your mind.
- Ensure that deadlines are always clear between you and your supervisor.
- Establish a cushion between now and the deadline – this allows time for you to think and strategize.
10. Make Your Boss Obsolete
No, I don't mean to put him/her out of a job. Still, the BEST way to get promoted is to make your boss's job easier. The more work you put in, the less your boss has to babysit you. This frees them up to tackle more tasks elsewhere.
Always strive to leave as little work as possible for your boss.
Do this, and you will be noticed. Good work travels up the chain of command.
Summary
- Be A Top Performer.
- Never Rest On Your Laurels.
- Build A Network – Promote Yourself.
- Deep Work Vs. Shallow Work.
- Linchpin Positioning.
- Strategically Volunteer.
- Maintain Professional Boundaries.
- Prioritize Your Tasks.
- Meet Your Deadlines.
- Make Your Boss Obsolete.
This wasn't a list of tips for your next side hustle but was meant as a guide to help you flourish in your field and think long-term. By maximizing your productivity with efficient use of your time, you only better your chances of earning big later on.
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