7 Vital Habits of the Successful Professional

They say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master of something. That translates to just over a year of time focused on your craft. But unbeknownst to some, the 10,000 theory may be wrong.

To be clear, experience is vital to anyone who wants to master something. However, there are success habits that get understated. A successful professional doesn’t let something like the 10,000-hour rule slow them down. 

Whether you’re looking to be an effective programmer or software developer, some productivity tips will help. This guide exists to give you the tools you need for success.

Keep reading as we discuss the 7 vital habits of the successful professional.

1. A Successful Professional Loves Goal Setting

The evidence is abundant that setting goals is far superior to having no goals at all. A vague hope at the back of your mind isn’t enough. This needs to be a concrete, measurable aspiration that you have a plan to achieve.

One of the most effective strategies for making goals is to use the SMART goals method. SMART stands for:

• Specific: a goal needs to be precise about what you hope to achieve
• Measurable: there needs to be a way to keep track of your progress
• Achievable: it’s a goal that you actually have a chance of achieving
• Relevant: it’s a goal that’s on track with your overall life/career goals
• Time-bound: there’s a deadline for when you need to complete the goal.

SMART goals work because they take into consideration everything a successful goal needs. All successful professionals use this formula when they plan their futures.

Software development often involves tasks and projects that have a deadline. Learning to set goals now will contribute to your career success later down the line. You’ll be able to apply those skills to make clients happy.

2. A Successful Professional Has Exceptional Time Management Skills

Software development is all about triaging your tasks. There’s programming, bug testing, feature development, and much more. All of these tasks are irreplaceable, but some have higher priority than others.

For starters, a professional devotes their time to the tasks that have the highest importance. If a deadline is coming down on you, you can’t afford to waste precious seconds on something inconsequential.

A successful professional knows how to avoid burnout. Going hard at a project for months without proper rest and relaxation can kill your passion and motivation. Find balance, and search out ways to reduce stress–such as working from home.

3. A Successful Professional Knows How to Collaborate

A software developer has to do things in stages, and sometimes that includes collaboration. With a software development team, it can be difficult to organize collaborative efforts. Time management helps to schedule things, but when you’re together, working in synchrony is vital.

Collaboration isn’t just about being a personable team player. It means knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your co-workers. It’s about delegating as necessary to those who are better suited to a task.

Software development is, after all, a collaborative exercise. Working alone can lead to differences in vision and how to approach tasks. It’s better to be in sync with everyone else.

4. A Successful Professional Does Clean Work That They Can Pass On to Others

In software development, nothing is more frustrating than troubleshooting. A program starts throwing out errors, but you’re clueless about what went wrong. This can go from headache to migraine if that code is cluttered.

Tech jobs are often in flux. There’s high turnover as the top talent moves on in search of greener pastures. As a result, you might be left with the badly-written code of an employee that quit.

Clean code isn’t just for your OCD peace of mind. It facilitates collaboration and reflects on your work ethic. 

Leave things better than you found them. Your peers won’t have to reach out to you when they’re assessing an issue since they can’t understand what you did.

5. A Successful Professional Loves to Learn

There are always things for you to learn, especially in tech. You likely only know a handful of programming languages. But there’s nothing wrong with understanding new data structures and systems.

Learning makes you a strong option for hiring. It shows that you’re always looking to improve. That’s a big selling point when you apply for a new job.

6. A Successful Professional Is Detail-Oriented

Being detail-oriented doesn’t mean just crossing t’s and dotting i’s. It means using careful judgment to assess different aspects of a project. You anticipate what is expected of you and get it done without extra instruction.

Paying attention to details speaks volumes about your work ethic. It shows that you’re not satisfied to take your paycheck and leave. You make sure everything is complete to the letter and account for potential future issues.

7. A Successful Professional Is Productive

Effective productivity is possibly one of the most important skills you can learn. Anyone can sit at a desk and look like they’re busy. But productivity is putting out a solid stream of work in an efficient fashion.

Productive people know how to get into a deep work state, avoiding distractions until they’ve solved an issue. They arrange their workstation so as not to lead to unhelpful distractions. They recognize weaknesses that could lead them to procrastinate and remove triggers for these weaknesses.

Working at a computer is an excellent way to get distracted. Even in a professional work setting, you might find yourself scrolling through emails rather than tackling a problem at hand. Productivity includes recognizing when you’re distracted and bringing back focus to the task.

Educate Yourself on Self Improvement

A successful professional has a number of vital success habits that make them desirable and hireable. They know how to get the job done on time–and done right. This includes everything from setting SMART goals to using productivity tips as they plan out their day.

The tech industry is booming, and a software developer has never been higher in demand. Boost your resume, so you’re an attractive asset to employers. Check out The Mad Dev for more tips on how to be productive and successful.