9 Habits of Exceptionally Talented Feds

featuredblog-01

In his book, The Compound EffectDarren Hardy says that if you do simple, little, daily habits, that over time you will wind up successful. When you make small but intentional changes in your life daily, there is a compounding effect that leads to the satisfaction you desire.

The key is to do this DAILY. You have to be consistent.

If you want to be paid more and promoted faster you have to develop yourself first which means you must make incremental changes every day. You have to consistently make progress on the person that you are. Before you can master a new job, you must master your new self. You experience new and exciting things when you take the time to do the work on you. Improving yourself daily guarantees you a future filled with possibilities. When you expand, the world opens up to you.

In his book, Rich Habits – The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy IndividualsTom Corley lists certain habits that the wealthy follow every day. Exceptionally talented feds also possess these traits. Below is just a partial list:

  1. 81% of wealthy maintain a to-do list vs. 19% of the non-wealthy
  2. 88% of wealthy people spend 30 minutes or more reading to learn and improve their skill set vs. 2% of the non-wealthy
  3. 76% of wealthy exercise four days a week vs. 23% of non-wealthy people
  4. 63% of wealthy listen to audio books during their commute to work vs. 5% of the non-wealthy
  5. 79% of wealthy network five hours or more each month vs. 16% of non-wealthy
  6. 86% of wealthy believe in lifelong educational self-improvement vs. 5% non-wealthy
  7. 67% of wealthy watch one hour or less of TV every day vs. 23% of non-wealthy
  8. 67% of wealthy write down their goals vs. 17% non-wealthy
  9. 86% of wealthy love to read vs. 26% non-wealthy

So start by setting goals that are small but worthwhile and highly achievable. Get a few wins in and you will be motivated to continue. First master the basics then discipline yourself to consistently repeat these same steps every day.

Remember, small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements (even job promotions) over time.

Personally I’ve been trying to learn Portuguese for some time. When I was not catching on as quickly as others, I got frustrated and just stopped. Then I realized the Law of Consistency.

I may not learn the language as quickly as others, but if I learn the basics and consistently build on what I learn, I will eventually become fluent.

You will reap huge rewards in your life and your career if you consistently grow as a person.

Rewards will come from your series of small, smart choices repeated daily.

Your life will change when you do.

Meiko Patton is part of the GovLoop Featured Blogger program, where we feature blog posts by government voices from all across the country (and world!). To see more Featured Blogger posts, click here.

Leave a Comment

5 Comments

Leave a Reply

Terrence (Terry) Hill

Great pointers, although I’ll never be wealthy (I work for the government), I believe that these tips also apply to those who are engaged. Luckily, I do most of these daily – to-do lists, exercise, read, etc.

Carol Davison

This is one of the most valuable things I’ve read on Gov.loop. Thanks Steve.

Also, I already consider myself wealthy because I am happy and have few needs.

Tom Melancon

I don’t disagree with any of the principles in this blog post, but the title is a little misleading. The title refers to exceptionally talented Feds, but the article is written from the perspective of wealth accumulation. I didn’t become a Fed to accumulate wealth. I became a Fed to serve my country in a job that makes a difference. I would add a couple of items to this list to make it more appealing to people in Public Service. One is public service. The other is taking time in your day to think about someone other than yourself. These two things, which I practice daily as well as many of the items on your list keep me centered and allow me to appreciate the gifts I have been given.