How To Be a Pro

Amateurs and professionals are different. Professionals do things that amateurs are unwilling to do.

1. Proactive: There may be nothing that better defines you as a professional than your being proactive. Taking action before any action is necessary is what true professionals do. Professionals do things by intention. Waiting is for amateurs.
2. Proficient: A professional has mad skills. They are proficient in what they do. They’ve got the situational knowledge, or experience, to know how to produce results. Professionals bring a level of expertise that brings with it trust.
3. Provocative: There are times when, as a professional, you need a response. You need to shake things up to get things moving and get things done. The status quo sets just like concrete, and there is nothing professional about that. Professionals aren’t afraid to be provocative.
4. Problem Solver: Professionals are problem solvers. They have the ability to look at a challenge and use their experience and their resourcefulness to find a way to overcome the obstacle or challenge confronting them. The amateur looks for a way to avoid dealing with the big, hairy problems. The professional relishes the challenge.
5. Productive: A true professional is productive. They produce. Result after result, always working, always generating new outcomes. The professional has a body of work as proof positive of their productivity. The amateur may show up at work, but the professional goes to work so that they can get to work.
6. Process: The professional has a process. The amateur flies by the seat of their pants, always winging it and hoping for the best. The professional knows that the order in which things get done can have a massive impact on their results. They follow a process that ensures that they attain those results.
7. Profitable: Amateurs work for free. The amateur enjoys what he does, but it’s a hobby. Professionals get paid for their work. The professional knows that when you create value, you are entitled to keep some of the value that you created. Professionals are paid and profitable.