Check out the insightful, yet practical wisdom you can snag below. You can choose one or two and see what happens—I bet the ones you pick will catapult you to higher levels of success.
1. Top-rated shows run stories that are in constant motion.
Let’s draw a few lessons from TV’s top-rated productions, whatever genre: reality, soap, sitcom, adventure, crime, fantasy, historical, you name it—it needs an exciting pace or else it’ll lose its balance.
Now, apply it to yourself: you have to acquire a momentum in your career that’s just right for your temperament and capabilities. Improve your chances of getting a promotion by excelling in your position, step by step. Every quarter, push yourself to step up to a higher level of performance, even just on your own measuring stick. This way, your boss will notice your efforts and soon you can jump to the next level in your career.
‘Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving’ ~ Albert Einstein
As the quote implies, you have to keep on running to maintain your balance. To put it another way, you’ve got to keep improving yourself. Competition in life is a continuous process, so you can’t rest on your laurels. If you’re wise, next month you enroll in a course that will transform you as a leader; even if today, you’re just an ordinary member. The following month, you’ll join another class called “enhancing communication in the work place”. See my point? If you remain forward-looking, you’ll get promoted faster than traffic builds up in the morning rush.
2. Interesting shows edit out all the boring stuff. If you’re interesting all the time, you’ll do well in your career.
- Keep updated with the news; local and international. Focus on your specific industry. If you’re in the entertainment biz, be on top of what goes on with the stars and which new projects are gaining traction. Be in the know.
- Keep up with fashion trends, or if not, be totally unique. Figure out what works with your personality: your goal is to always look sharp. Psychology has proven time and again that people who are attractive get promoted more quickly.
- Use the latest gadgets: It’s a tech-biased world we live in, so it’s important to keep up with the latest app, software, phones, gadgets, etc. to be interesting.
3. All TV and radio shows have breaks. At work, go on mini-breaks, but don’t overdo it or you might lose your job.
- No TV or radio show can survive without advertisements. These commercial spots are strategically positioned in breaks that happen after each show segment. This isn’t only good for profits, it also enhances the audience’s viewing pleasure. Haven’t you noticed that more often than not, a segment ends with a strong hook? This will keep you hanging on for what happens next after the commercial. If that suspense element doesn’t intensify your viewing pleasure, I don’t know what will.
Let’s apply it to real life: As long as they’re properly and intelligently spaced, breaks will invigorate you. They’re breathing spaces. Respites. These short interludes recharge your soul, your body, and your brain. You’re revitalized after a break, and when you come back from it, your performance improves.
- Breaks will help you gain back your equilibrium. Breathing spaces afford you to smell the flowers and see what’s going on around you. These times will make way for you to absorb valuable insights for your job.
- More and more people don’t get sufficient sleep nowadays, so companies such as Nationwide Planning Associates and Huffington Post have built “nap rooms”. They encourage employees to catch some Zzz’s in aims of propping them up to be more productive workers. How cool is that?
4. Do one or two of these things to be noticed:
- Do something outrageous
- Be significant
- Be entertaining
- Be bold
- Be a rebel (as long as you don’t cause a coup d’etat, we’ll let it pass)
- Stand out
- Be extra helpful
5. Tell a captivating story: all great shows tell an engaging tale that the audience can relate to
- Just make sure to be honest with your story. (Everyone has a story to tell; I’m sure you’ll find something that will interest your employers.)
- Highlight your strengths. Go ahead, brag about what you can do.
- In your story, mention points that will call attention to you being an asset to your future employer.
- Mention stories that have proven your ability to solve problems, to think of solutions to difficult situations, that show you have leadership skills, etc.
