The Next Essential Skill

"Remember, the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running." Those words from Olympic swimmer and author Sarah Connor capture the essence of a skill those wanting to thrive in the new world of work need.

We live in a world with constant interruptions, interesting internet rabbit holes to explore, and mobile apps to try. There's more information than we can possibility absorb, consider, and read; more activities than we can ever do in a lifetime. Thriving in today's world requires us to self-manage, or we can drown in a sea of busyness, with our time used up and our results minimal.

There is plenty to keep us busy - we know that. But, people who are winning at working know how to self-manage that busyness from the inside-out around their needs, desires, challenges, talents, and aspirations. They understand the choices they make determine the results they get.

Self-managing people display common sense, but also uncommonly practiced behaviors that enable them to be winning at working. Here are 10 examples:

1. They know what they want and work towards achieving it, using the power of incremental progress.

2. They embrace learning, personal growth, and well-being. They compete with themselves, working to improve who they are, what they can do, achieve, or contribute.

3. They're worthy of trust; they're dependable, reliable, and consistently good to their word. If they say they'll do it, they do it, or tell you ahead that they can't.

4. They set boundaries for themselves, making time for what matters to them while understanding that life's ebbs and flows can change their priorities.

5. They operate from the inside out with self-managing essentials such as self-trust, enhanced awareness, self-direction, and reflective choices.

6. They invest time in fixing the problem, training the new person, figuring out new or better ways, and “stopping the bleeding” before moving forward.

7. They do what needs to be done, whether they like the task or not.

8. They're self-motivated and engaged, with what others might call “drive” or “passion.” They want to make a difference with their work and life.

9. They're contributors to the common good, not myopically self-focused, with a “big” team mentality; they help and assist others, build strong relationships, and share their knowledge and talents willingly.

10. They use, enjoy, and invest their time thoughtfully. They have a make-it-happen mindset and are highly productive.

Self-managing people who are winning at working do, while others talk of doing. They plan their day, while others let their day plan them. They motivate themselves, while others wait for someone or something to motivate them. They know the results they get are not about the time they have, but the choices they make in how they use it.

If you want to be winning at working and thrive in today's crazy, busy world, the next essential skill you need to learn is the art of self-management.

(c) 2015 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.