Build a legacy, not just a great career

Women discuss business opportunities. Your success won’t be pegged on what you accomplished, but on what you did with your accomplishments. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Through your career, you should aim to offer solutions to the problems afflicting the society.
  • Just make sure you create time to learn and take up as much information as you can about your field.

Leaving a memorable legacy is the ultimate goal of most professionals.

Beyond achieving career success, it is satisfying to leave visible footprints upon retirement, or to enter the books of history as someone who made a difference in the world. But how can one achieve this?

View your job differently

Whether you are a writer, entrepreneur, singer, civil servant, doctor, engineer or lawyer, you need to view your profession as more than just a career.

It is a platform on which you can empower others. Through your career, you should aim to offer solutions to the problems afflicting the society.

At the end of the day, your success won’t be pegged on what you accomplished, but on what you did with your accomplishments. It will be measured by the number of people you uplifted, and the difference you made in the society.

Stay updated

Successful professionals strive to be knowledgeable about their industry at all times.

If you are going to build a successful career, keep abreast with recent developments in your field by reading widely and wildly, being observant, and constantly conducting research.

It does not matter what you read. Blogs, paper backs, e-books, or Google are all valuable sources of information.

Just make sure you create time to learn and take up as much information as you can about your field. The world is moving at break neck speed and if you are not fast enough, you might be left behind.

Broaden your networks

Valuable contacts don’t just come about. They are created by attending conferences, seminars, trainings, fellowships and workshops.

Such events will expose you to the individuals you need to move to the next level in your career.

Through networking, you are bound to meet and interact with veterans in your field who could offer you great insights about how to succeed, or make you aware of new career opportunities that might steer you in the direction of success.

Be unique

If you are looking to establish a never-to-be-forgotten career record, you will have to make extra efforts especially during your formative years.

You must also be creative and think out of the box. Look around and identify fresh, practical ways in which you can positively change lives.

Renowned American politician and lawyer Robert Kennedy said: "There are those who look at things the way they are and ask why, then there are those who dream of things that never were and ask, why not?”

If you want to be successful, learn to ask “why not” even when everyone around you is asking “why?”. This is the kind of attitude that most successful people adopt. See the glass as being half full, not half empty.

Focus on your vision

Success is often driven by an individual’s goals and objectives. The surest pathway to a great career is to find your passion, and to make daily efforts to realise your vision.

If you are an entrepreneur, use your business to solve problems, and help others achieve their ambitions. If you’re an artist, use your drawings and paintings to tell inspirational stories.

As a musician, ensure that your lyrics prompt others to do something that could help them achieve their dreams. Let it not just be about making money.

Great success is not just limited to Jack Ma or Mark Zuckerberg. You may be surprised to find yourself emerging as history’s most influential person, just by making the most of your job.