Two of the Most Important Work Habits for Increasing Your Income

There is plenty of advice floating around for “standing out” in the workplace to increase your income, or “getting ahead” in life. While many of them do have merit, it can be difficult to sift through them all, to determine which ones may be the most beneficial, and even harder to implement them and turn them into habits of your daily life. Of all of the advice I have read on these topics, there are two “habits” one can develop which I believe really stand out above the rest. They can be applied to your corporate job or if you are self-employed, and can even help you develop better professional relationships with others.

Do Things That Others Don’t Want to Do or Will Not Do- If you are willing to do things that others find unpleasant or difficult, you will always have a job. It doesn’t matter what type of work you do, whether you work for someone else or are self-employed, or your education, or whether you perform manual labor or are a rocket scientist. If you can do things that others won’t or don’t do, or makes them uncomfortable, you will never lack for work. No matter what profession you are in, you will eventually make more money than your colleagues in the same position as you who do not do what you are willing to do.

Tackling the “tough problems”, or difficult clients at work will make you an invaluable resource.
Performing the difficult tasks, that no one else wants to do, but that must be done, practically guarantees you employment.
Even if you are self-employed, solving difficult problems for others will keep your services in demand forever. Find a problem and develop a solution and you have created a market for yourself.

Do Things Without Being Asked- Elbert Hubbard, back in 1899, in the introduction entitled “Initiative” to his essay A Message to Garcia, stated :

THE WORLD BESTOWS ITS BIG PRIZES, both in money and honors, for but one thing. And that is Initiative. What is Initiative? I’ll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told.

Taking the initiative will allow you to “stand out” above the crowd, as a self-starter who can get things done. It is difficult, however, as taking the initiative also “puts you out there”, open to criticism, etc. You are taking the responsibility and making decisions to get things done. But the rewards certainly outweigh the negatives.

Taking the initiative allows you to work basically independently, without your superiors having to look over your shoulder. If you ask any boss or supervisor, employees who can do this are worth their weight in gold.
If you are self-employed, it allows you to take advantage of opportunities presented to you for your client’s and your benefit. Making that one extra phone call, or doing that little bit extra, even when you are ready to go home, can be the one that leads you to a new client or new opportunities.

Most successful people in life, I would think, implement at least one if not both of these habits to some degree in their lives. Developing them as habits in your daily life is not easy, as I have been trying to get better at both of them for quite a while, but the rewards, both monetary and professionally, are well worth it.