5 Rules to Get a Head Start in Life – How to Stay Ahead of the Curve

This might sound obvious, but it's a simple fact that often gets lost when people hurdle down the supposed path to their success. Developing people skills is an absolute must for staying ahead in life. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to develop these skills and it takes far less effort than most people realise. Developing a sense of patience and a willingness to entertain the perspective of others are the two key skills you want to work on – especially in a business setting. If you're still doing you higher studies, whether it's a business degree or one of the engineering courses in Sri Lanka – like the ones offered by CINEC – take the opportunity to network and build relationships with as many people as possible.

A good mentor can change everything – from how you approach your career to your entire outlook on life. So, how do you go about choosing a mentor? Well, this isn't that straightforward and truth be told, there is a degree of luck involved with it. However, one thing you can do to improve your chances of finding the right person is clearly showcasing your skills. Now, this could mean your ability to write, presentation skills, creativity or any other such qualities. Once you clearly present your skills and expose more and more people to them, undoubtedly someone worthy will pick up on it. Once you've got a mentor, be sure to listen to them! In essence, what a mentor does is cut down your learning curve and narrow down the potential paths you can go down. So, be sure to take advantage of that!

No matter how independent you want to be or however much you've convinced yourself that you can go it alone, the fact of the matter is that everyone needs support from time to time. This could be in a financial sense, a mental sense or even on an emotional level. The key here is to identify when you need support, who to ask for support and not being embarrassed to seek it. Building up a support network can be crucial – it allows you to identify who the best person is to tackle your problem. Developing a network might seem like an arduous task, but it doesn't have to be. Start with your immediate family and closest friends and build from there.

Just as you have to seek support, it's important to give back. Don't hesitate to help those around you – your friends, family and co-workers – when they require help. A bit of kindness can go a long way and you never know when you'll have to ask for a return favour.

One of the most important aspects of staying ahead of the pack is knowing yourself. This may seem like a trivial matter, but in reality, most people are unaware of who they really are – what their true purpose is and what they want to achieve. Spare some time to self-reflect – a bit of introspection can go along way in revving you up for success.