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NEWS | June 16, 2014

Keys to success

By Capt. Shawn Cox 373 TRS/Detachment 5 commander

As I write this article, I've had time to reflect on the many students that have come through our training detachment. Since this same time last year we have trained more than 677 active, Reserve, Guard and international maintenance technicians. Everyday our students come through our school house with a positive attitude and eager to learn. Whether brand new, non-prior service Airmen starting to learn their craft, or seasoned technicians learning advanced maintenance skills, they all have one question in common: how can I be successful?

In an attempt to answer this question I turned to Forbes.com, "14 Things Every Successful Person Has In Common." In this article, more than 1,200 successful CEOs, politicians and celebrities were interviewed and a list of common traits was compiled.
Here are a few:

They do more than what's asked of them. They view their job descriptions as just the beginning of what they can do with their job. After they've completed their mandatory tasks, they will always ask to take on more projects that challenge them. They are even willing to take on the tedious work no one else wants to do in order to be a team player.

They know they make their own luck. Luck is derived from hard work over time and positioning yourself for success. You won't randomly get lucky and successful people know that. They will do at least one thing every single day to put themselves in a better position to get lucky and then use that luck to grow.

They are more excited about the journey than the payout Successful people ignore get rich quick schemes. They are more focused on building sustainable careers through hard work, risk taking and creativity. They enjoy the journey despite the obstacles because they are doing something that has meaning in their lives.

Regardless of your where you are at in your career my advice is, have fun!