EVERYONE wants to succeed, and feel proud that they have achieved some-thing. Most, if not all of us, approach a task with the objective of winning.

But many times we approach the prob-lem incorrectly. Professor Heidi Halvor-son of Columbia Business School has done considerable research on why some people are successful, and discov-ered that successful people do things differently.

In yesterday’s article, drawing on Profes-sor Halvorson’s work, I focused on five things successful people do differently. To recap, successful people:i) Are specific in their goals and the

feedback they seek;ii) Seize the opportunities when they

come knocking;iii) Track their progress very closely;iv) Are realistically optimistic;v) Focus on getting better.

There are four more things successful people do. According to Halvorson, a successful person:

Has better willpower Successful people build their willpower by exercising plenty of self-control and delaying gratification.

The so-called “willpower muscle”works like other muscles in your body. When you exercise a muscle regularly byputting it to good use, it grows stronger. Exercising self-control and delaying gratification enable you to avoid taking shortcuts at work or engaging in nega-tive workplace behaviour.

Our willpower provides us with the determination to stay on course to

achieve the goal ethically and complete it, while adhering to professional stand-ards and the appropriate time frame.

Knows one’s limits No matter how strong your willpower is, always remember there is a limit to what you can achieve.

Avoid testing such limits. For instance, if you spent a gruelling morn-ing clearing work till the early afternoon, be kind to yourself, and call it a day. Do not stay in the office to clear your e-mails or call a meeting with your team members to discuss the action plan for work projects.

You need time to re-energise and become mentally focused again for other challenging tasks. When we work too hard, our mental energy, willpower and focus become depleted. Hence if you push yourself further to do more when you are already tired, you might be asking for trouble. In fact, over-confident people often trip themselves up by overstretching.

Puts plans in action Professor Halvorson emphasised the importance of always focusing on what you will do, not what you will not do.

Whether it is about improving your communication skills or the productiv-ity of your team, be clear about specific goals you wish to achieve. Plan how you will change your bad habits and behav-iour.

Changing bad habits requires strong commitment and self-awareness. You need to be constantly aware of your actions. Seek trusted work colleagues toalert you when you are slipping back to your bad behaviour and habits. Recipro-

cate by offering to do the same for them. It contributes to a better work-place.

Has gritGrit, according to Professor Halvorson, is a passion for and commitment to long-term goals. Grit has much to do with your willpower.

A person with grit is not easily distracted by short-term gain or imme-diate gratification. Therefore, having a clear plan for what you wish to achieve in the long run enables you to chart your developmental plan, along with specific activities and training on skills that you wish to learn or improve. In short, grit enables you to pursue your passion for the long haul.

Everyone has innate abilities. Planning, persistence and good strate-gies are integral to what makes success-ful people different.

Sign up for appropriate self-development workshops and seminars if you need help to practise these nine strategies. Self-development, according to the renowned manage-ment guru, the late Professor Peter Drucker, entails “learning new skills, new knowledge, and new manners”.

Article by Kamal Kant, a part-time lecturer in Employment Relation, and Career Development at the Nanyang Technological University and SIM Global Education. When you contribute to The Straits Times Recruit, we take it that you agree, at no charge, to allow us to use, archive, resell or reproduce the letters and contributions in any way and in any medium.

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