The biggest mistake an employee can make? To think he was working for someone else. It’s about an attitude that doesn’t just differentiate between those who just do a job and those who practice a profession – the attitude is a key to success.

Of course, the above aphorism does not mean that an employee should act as if he were the boss himself from now on. That could latently shorten your career.

But the fact that we are paid for our work by someone else often makes us forget that it is still our work, our plans and goals , our lives . It’s simply a matter of perspective.

Or to put it another way…  Even if we are employed:

• Each of us remains the owner of a one-man company.
• We acquire customers – employers.
• We negotiate – work content, salary.
• We generate turnover – income.
• We continue to develop – personality.
• We’re growing – promotion, job change, raise .

But even more important:

• We determine the course – our personal corporate strategy.

Of course, we get instructions at work, we have to come to terms with colleagues, we have to make compromises . But ultimately it was we who chose this employer, this profession. And we can modify or even change our choice at any time – which is sometimes easier, sometimes more difficult, but never impossible.

We are also the ones who decide how we do our work every day: as a work to rule – or with love and passion . Whether we are simply doing our job – or striving to get better, to develop and grow personally.

And that’s exactly what we do at the end of the day, not for our boss, not for our colleagues, not for the company – just for ourselves . Regardless of whether, when and how often we change jobs: nobody from our own company can fire us; the experiences, the development we make with it – priceless.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Rarely, really only very rarely, does success have anything to do with luck alone. Of course, sometimes it comes down to the right timing : Meeting the right person in the right place at the right time has been the basis for many a success story. But anyone who thinks that it always happens to the few other lucky ones who fate regularly bestows such episodes on is terribly mistaken.

Luck is not a stroke of luck , it is made much more often. And success is the result of ambition as well as responsible, decisive action.

Possible methods for this:

• Be aware of your goals.
• Always keep an eye on these.
• Don’t do your job well, do it better every time.
• Work with people who are smarter than you.
• Work out and save yourself financial freedom of movement.
• Never stop working on yourself.

Surely you can think of more recommendations (then feel free to share them in the comments!).