It goes without saying that successful people enjoy what they do, and it's hard for someone working at a job they don't like to muster the enthusiasm to succeed. As Malcolm Forbes, one of America's most successful businessmen, said to me, "If you don't like what you're doing, you'll never be successful. I don't think anybody does something really well unless they truly enjoy what they do."
This goes back to the concept of knowing yourself before ever entering the field of data processing. For many, the occupation they choose to pursue is the right one from the beginning. For others, it takes exposure to the occupation before coming to the realization that a mistake has been made. If you feel you have made a mistake and would be better served in another field, by all means change. There are countless success stories of people who came to that conclusion at some point during their lives, switched into an entirely different line of work, and became wildly successful.
By the way, most people who achieve success in data processing seem to have known what they were doing when they chose to pursue DP as a career. When we asked members of data processing management whether they would choose the field if they had it to do over, 80 percent of them agreed that they were pleased with the profession and would indeed make the same decision. Only 10 percent disagreed, and 10 percent did not have an opinion about it. Because the respondents to this study had achieved a certain level of success in data processing, the results support the contention that liking what you do helps in achieving success.
My one caution to you - should you feel data processing is wrong for you - is that you be sure that it is the field you're unhappy with, and not yourself and the world in general. Psychiatrists recognize that there are two kinds of depression, reactive depression and general depression. We all become depressed over the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or other factors of life that affect us. That kind of depression is healthy and normal. Then there are those who are simply depressed in general and who go through life with a negative, pessimistic view of the world. For these people, depression is not healthy and normal; they need help.
The same situation exists with people who, rather than looking inside themselves, are constantly blaming externals for their unhappiness. It could be that your dislike of data processing is so pervasive and real that a career change is definitely in order. On the other hand, make sure that you are not using your occupation as an excuse for what is basically a downbeat, negative, and pessimistic attitude.
Do I Know What I'm Doing Today?
Successful people are goal-directed. They have a sense of what they're going to accomplish this day, this week, this month, and over an even longer period. That doesn't mean they are rigid about how they use their time. Far from it. In fact, they also possess the ability to shift gears quickly as the occasion demands. Although they might be detoured from time to time, they never lose sight of the overall goal they have set for themselves, even if it means adding extra hours to the day or week in order to accomplish it. Success demands a sense of purpose, and people who flounder through the day because they haven't established clear-cut priorities and goals are the ones who flounder in their careers.
Do I View Myself as a Victim?
Successful people don't trust to luck. They take responsibility for their successes and failures, and for their lives. Winners don't make excuses for failure, nor do they chalk up their successes to luck. They take control of their lives and, within the reality that there are some things we can't control, forge ahead with resolve. A friend of mine summed up that philosophy of life-which happened to be his own-with a Latin phrase on the bottom of his stationery. Translated, it read: "Drive it like you owned it." That's what successful people do.
Am I Always Prepared?
The concept of rehearsing for a job interview is one that should be remembered throughout our working lives. Successful people try to anticipate problems and mentally prepare themselves to handle them. They don't walk into a meeting that's been scheduled for a week and ad-lib their way through their presentation. They have rehearsed it, perhaps using a tape recorder, and have written down every major question that they can imagine will arise. They are aware of the need to communicate clearly and with enthusiasm if an idea is to have a chance of being accepted. So many good ideas fail to be acted upon because they were presented inadequately. The ability to communicate is crucial to success, not only in business but in our everyday life. Relationships suffer when what's on the mind of one party is misunderstood because it was not presented clearly. If you are uncomfortable communicating your ideas, take steps to correct it. Attend a night course in expository writing. Take a similar course in public speaking.
Practice. Rehearse. Prepare yourself for success.
The world is filled with people who simply shrug and say, "That's the way I am."
Nonsense. With few exceptions, each of us can change aspects of our personality for the better. Changing ourselves takes hard work, but the result is certainly worth it. We feel better about ourselves. Our lives take on a renewed richness and purpose. And, ultimately, we become successful.
It's up to each of us to develop an attitude for success.
No one can do it for us.
