You got talent, what else?

Most of us have heard about the book “Talent is never enough” by John C. Maxwell. People often take the time to acquire a lot of knowledge and education in their fields and believe that they now possess the talent to conquer the world. This attitude seldom gets them ahead in their careers.

I notice that people trust degrees to take them through their careers and associate advanced education with success. In his book, John Maxwell states that education and subject information aren’t enough to succeed in the workplace, and I agree with this notion. It is very important to build general knowledge and soft skills. A lot of people spend their time and effort to become book smart, yet they lack common sense.

To grow in your career, it is essential to build good habits, work hard, be disciplined and grow confident enough to take risks. Decision making requires more than just knowledge and subject information. Doubting yourself, fear of failure, or even over confidence in your skill set and ability can result in disasters.

Building good habits starts with setting goals for yourself and taking appropriate action to follow through. You can only achieve your goals when you put focused effort in their direction. You must adopt healthy routines, track your progress, hold yourself accountable, and celebrate your wins. Rewarding yourself and celebrating wins is important to stay motivated and build discipline.

When we doubt ourselves or fear failure, we tend to avoid making decisions. It is important to be ready to accept failure. Failure is an essential step in the journey towards success. When we don’t take the shot, there’s a 100% chance of missing the point but when we choose to take the shot, there is at least a 50% chance of making the shot and winning. This simple formula helps look past the fear of failure. Remember, “Fear does not exist, it is not a real thing, it is just a feeling.”.