Fuel for performance and success

by | Jul 15, 2017 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

No matter how many horse power your car has, it won’t move without fuel or it won’t perform at its best without the right fuel.

This is also true for our careers. Most people have great education and experience in their CV/resume, even at a very early age. 20 years ago, this was enough to get an excellent job at a global company in FMCG, Corporate Finance or Consulting, but today things have changed.

Great education and a solid pool of experiences is a pre-requisite, but not a critical success factor anymore. It is more how you fully develop your potential that matters and to do this, you need to feed your powerful engine the right fuel.

The fuel I am talking about is a mix of 3 things:

  1. Intellectual fuel. This is your conviction, the idea that you are in the right place, the place that will enable you to learn new skills, develop managerial competences, sector specific know-how that will serve you over the long term. When you are rationally convinced that the job you have is a significant stepping stone on your longer-term roadmap to success, you are very likely to be at your best.
  2. Emotional fuel. This is the passion. It is crucial that you feel a deep connection with the company values, culture, sector, but especially with your job. When you do something you really like, you do it without effort, to the point that it will not feel like working. If you have not passion for what you do, look for something else. Professional life it too short to waste on meaningless days.
  3. Physical fuel. Finally, nutrition and exercise. This is something many do not prioritise. You can’t perform when you are tired and stressed. It is banal, but many ignore this. Feed your body healthy food, have a daily heavy exercise routine, take time off for holidays to disconnect from work and finally make room for some spiritual ritual to rebalance your body and mind when under pressure.

So, ask yourself the tough questions:

  1. Do I think this job is right for my longer-term career aspiration?
  2. Do I love what I do and company I work for?
  3. Do I take care of myself to be always at my best?

If any of the answer to the above questions is no, you are using a low octane gasoline/petrol and that can’t do any good to your car.