10 tips to create a breakthrough in your working life

If you're just not getting anywhere at work then these 10 tips might help you out.

1. Refuse to accept conventional answers or comforting assumptions. If you want to develop then you need to sceptical of quick solutions without effort. They're usually 'band-aid solutions' that provide only temporary relief.

2. Take risks. Without risk there's no reward, so if you want the rewards, you've got to take the risks. What's the worst that can happen... you'll fail, right? Well, everyone fails at some point. You WILL fail at something, some time. So risk the failure so that you can get the reward? If you don't succeed, try again. The world loves someone who at least tries. The ones that don't, fade into obscurity, never having done what they really wanted to do.

3. Don't look for answers - look for questions. They help you discover more, and help you avoid getting comfortable. They inspire you to greatness.

4. Become a specialist in asking stupid questions. Lots of people are afraid of asking what they think is a stupid question, and they don't want to 'rock the boat'. As a result, however, they never get anywhere. If you can ask the questions that others can't, then you're going to discover what they never will - success.

5. Keep an open mind. You never know when an idea will come to you, or you'll meet someone with an opportunity that could change your life completely. Don't create boundaries by thinking you know what's good for you, and what you can ignore. Life doesn't throw neatly labelled opportunities at you, you have to look for them in the strangest places.

6. Be who you are. It's only the insecure that try to be like someone else. If you stick to your unique and authentic self, you're not going to stand out from the crowd. Learn from others, but don't try to be anything but the best you can be.

7. Make mistakes joyfully. The person who's afraid to make mistakes is the person who's afraid to do anything. You're not always going to get it right the first time, but if you never try, you'll never get it right at all. Learn to be happy, to experience joy, every time you make a mistake, because it's only helping you learn how to do it better, and eventually you will get it right.

8. Dare to let go. To become the best you an be it's important to let go of those things that you're holding on to, which are holding you back. Allow yourself to grow, to forgive the wrongs of your past, to break through your comfort zones. If you lack the courage to let go, you'll never make any breakthroughs. Don't hold on to your achievements. Let go of them and seek out new achievements. It's all part of the breakthrough cycle.

9. Ignore your inner critic. Your own negativity is your worst enemy. Listening to all those 'what if' statements won't help you achieve your breakthroughs. 'What if it goes wrong? What if I get embarrassed?' Anything that has a 'what if' attached is your inner critic trying to keep itself safe and avoid failure. But avoiding failure by listening to the 'what ifs' also avoids success.

Be successful. Achieve breakthroughs at work. Become the best you can be. You'll thank yourself for it!

Go to part 2.

Thanks to Lifehack.org.