Being On Time
Punctuality has become a large issue in recent years it seems. People always say they’re going to be somewhere at a certain time then show up late. Being on time is a life lesson that is learned very early in life, not a skill or craft.
Work Ethic
Some will argue work ethic and effort are the same. I completely disagree. Work ethic is your desire – effort is how hard you work. Having a work ethic means that you know what is important to you; it means you’re willing to put forth the time and energy, and it’s based on your personal core values.
Effort
Hopefully you see the difference already. Effort is how hard you work and your work ethic determines what’s important for you to put your effort into based on your core values. How many people can honestly say they give 100% effort each and every day? Very few I would assume. It’s hard and that’s okay.
Body Language
There’s two items I believe someone could argue that require talent, body language is one. Your body language speaks volumes; it can speak languages you can’t. I can communicate with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as me just from my body language. That person will be able to read my attitude and my feelings about the conversation. Your body language has an impact on most of your daily activities.
Energy
This is one of my three favorites, all of which happen to coincide with one another. Energy is a very underrated characteristic. You see people at work show up every day looking like a bag of dog poop, not wanting to be there. This starts with their mindset. Think about how much better things could be if they would simply put on a smile and try to act excited to be there. Energy is contagious and it empowers people in a positive way – be that power.
Attitude
My absolute favorite. I cannot tell you how much a bad attitude pisses me off. We all have things that upset us or affect us; it happens. The person who undoubtedly finds the worst in something is who I’m referencing. If you take anything away from this, make it attitude. There’s not a single person in the world who can fault you for living life with a positive attitude. Attitude is a choice.
Passion
Passion rounds out my favorites. There’s something about a person who has such a deep conviction in what they’re doing; it’s indescribable. We’re passionate about things we love to do. We learn what we like as we have different experiences. Our mind literally tells us when we like and want more of something. Don’t ever be embarrassed about displaying your passion; it will enhance the other things on this list and become infectious among the people who surround you.
Being Coachable
Like most on this list, being coachable starts at an early age. Being coachable requires you to humble yourself and accept room for improvement. It’s one of the fastest ways to achieve success. You have to be open to constructive criticism. By doing so, you’re telling people you want to get better. Being coachable is the only other item on this list that could be considered a skill because you have to learn how to accept feedback positively.Some people think like this because they view coaching as a personal attack. Their narrow mindset limits them. This definitely depends on the person delivering feedback and their ability to be constructive. It’s much easier to do the coaching when you have facts and not assumptions.Coachable individuals are able to receive poorly delivered messages and comprehend the underlying message. You don’t have to use every piece of advice given, but keep an open mind and take the best parts from each person. Regardless of what you use, have the decency to be respectful without getting defensive.
Doing Extra
You must have the passion to succeed because no one gets by doing the bare minimum; it just doesn’t happen. If you have the work ethic, energy and passion then doing extra will just come along with it. The more you do, the more people are willing to help you in return.
Being Prepared
Being prepared simply means thinking ahead. Reminds me of my days as a Boy Scout where our motto was, “Always Be Prepared.” Pay attention to the details and have a strong sense of awareness. It’s the details in everything you do that you should account for. It’s easy to plan for the main event, but it’s what leads up to and follows the main event that separates the good from the great.
