The 10 Secrets Of Outstanding Careers

Fashion designer Patis Tesoro revived the natural fiber industry in the country in 1986 by her advocacy for piña cloth, a gossamer-like fabric made from a variety of pineapple grown in Aklan. Her campaign brought the piña cloth to Christofle, Printemps, Calvin Klein and other major international fashion houses. What drives highly motivated people? When I was a student-volunteer during the first presidential race of the late Sen. Raul Roco in 1998, he taught us that the biggest room in the world is the room for self-improvement. This kaizen attitude, I realize, belongs in this collection of the ten keys to an excellent career. 1) Write a masterplan. Listing your goals defines your priorities. Stephen King became the greatest literary phenomenon of the 20th century because he wanted to be a brand name even before his first novel Carrie got published in 1974. 2) Arrange tasks. One way to build confidence is to meet short-term goals while still working out the bigger challenges. Before Kanye West hit the big time with his 2004 Grammy-nominated multi-platinum debut album The College Dropout, he had been producing hits for various hip-hop superstars including Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. 3) Be purpose-driven. The key to a sense of fulfillment is to live a meaningful life. Chess living legend Garry Kasparov knew he could make a difference in the defense of democracy and human-rights in Russia by becoming chairman of the United Civic Front in 2005, and he did. 4) Find role models. Our lives are enriched if we emulate good people. Bob Dylan’s musical career, from his 1964 “Blowin’ In The Wind” to his 2001 “Things Have Changed” – the Oscar-winning theme of Wonder Boys – was influenced by his great admiration for American folk giant Woody Guthrie. 5) Invest hard work. If you have worked hard for your cake then you deserve to eat it too. Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood has only superlative praises for Hillary Swank, who worked out 6 hours a day for 3 months, to play the lead in his 2005 Oscar-winning film Million Dollar Baby – where she also won her second Best Actress Award. 6) Change your self-image. How you function in life depends on how you view yourself. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England has been consistently modernizing the monarchy to make it relevant to modern times. “This is a forward-looking organization,” Prince Andrew told Time in 2006. The now 82-year old Queen “isn’t legacy-focused – she’s future-focused.” 7) Don’t procrastinate. The world as we know it can be obsolete at any given moment so why up-date our upgrades? The Beatles achieved international superstardom in their teens, Sir Paul McCartney wrote the angst classic “Yesterday” when he was 24, and he’s still rockin’ – 2007 marked the launched of his CD Memory Almost Full, the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper, and his 65th birthday. 8) Master your craft. You can be better no matter how good you are in whatever you do because you’re not obligated to be mediocre. Tiger Woods is well on his way to becoming the best golfer of all time; and although his short iron and wedge play were criticized during his first year as a pro, “Now they’re the strengths of his game,” says his coach Butch Harmon. “He’s a work in progress; anything that’s a weakness, he turns into a strength.” 9) Never surrender. The greatest success secret in the world is perseverance. Al Gore lost the 2000 presidential race because of a technicality but he’s till fighting global warming. The former United States Vice President has built Current TV, produced the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and was honored the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. 10) Assume responsibility. Everything we do or fail to do comes back to us. Rudy Giuliani earned his place in history by his heroic leadership during 9/11. “I was the mayor of New York,” he told Reader’s Digest in 2002. “My whole approach as mayor was to be there and to be in charge.” Raul Roco photo courtesy of WikiPilipinas. This story originally appeared in CareerGuide, The Philippine Star, November 9, 2008 You comments and links are welcome