The first step in becoming successful is to be good at the job you’re doing right now. Below is a list of tips to help you become the best that you can. It won’t be easy, but that’s why the first step is:

1. Work Hard.  All of the other tips are useless unless you are committed to working hard. Always give your best effort. Treat every day as if it’s the most important day of your life, be thorough and be prepared to go above and beyond what’s asked of you. Instead of hoping to become successful, make success happen. Successful people are anything but lazy.
2. Have Discipline. If you are the type of person who needs 8 hours of sleep every night, make sure you get it. If you know you really shouldn’t hang out with your friends tonight because tomorrow is an important day, then don’t. True discipline is having the inner strength to consistently make the best choices in the many small decisions you’re faced with every day.
3. Have a Positive Attitude. Instead of complaining about your workload or the people you work with, look at each problem as an opportunity to learn problem solving skills. Even if you don’t like your co-workers on a personal level, remember that you are all there to get a job done and complaining to or about them will not help anyone, including yourself. It’s also hard to advance at your job when your boss thinks of you as the person who is always complaining.
4. Be Understanding. When dealing with supervisors, co-workers or customers conflicts can arise and it can be frustrating when you feel like you have a point of view that isn’t being listened to. Fight the urge to be understood and instead be the one who is doing the understanding. You will find this helps to build good relationships with those around you, and you can head off problems before they start. People are much more likely to try to understand you if you take the time to understand them. Supervisors are also more likely to consider you for a promotion or raise if you are seen as a good listener and problem solver.
5. Be Proactive. This means that instead of always reacting to problems, make sure those problems never occur. If you see something that might be a problem, instead of hoping for the best, take steps to head it off before it becomes a big issue. Most of the time, it’s easier to be proactive than to deal with something that has already become a problem. Employers also like employees who think ahead and who come up with good ideas.