Celebrate the Labor Day with these 20 D’s

Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday of September in the United States, is more than just a long weekend. It is a day dedicated to honoring the hard work and contributions of American workers throughout history. The holiday originated from the labor movement in the late 19th century and today it serves as a reminder that success—whether personal or collective—is largely a result of dedication, determination, and, above all, hard work.

Success is tantalizing, and the word evokes many positive images. As long as your success does not depend on tearing other people down, you can be happy when you are moving toward your definition of success. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to success. Each of us can define what it means to us, and that definition will be influenced by our goals, values, and vision.

Hard work lies at the core of success, which is why I have identified 20 D’s of success that can guide us in achieving our goals. Here they are:

Desire: This is the first word we should remember when it comes to success. Success truly requires a vision of something better than what is there today. What do you want so badly that you will make the necessary sacrifices to achieve it? Desire is the starting point of all success. It has to be personal and cannot be what someone else wants for you. Clearly defining a vision and mission for our lives is the starting point on our success journey. Fast-forward your life by 5 to 10 years and project where you want to be in all areas of your life. You will find your definition of success when you do that.

Drive: This is the second word we should remember when it comes to success. Yes, we all have desires, but drive is the vehicle through which we achieve what we desire. Drive is the ability to persist when we face enormous headwinds and nothing seems to go our way. This has happened to all of us, and what will get us through is an intense, burning drive for our desires. Drive cannot be taught, but it can be felt. Once you have drive, you will be unstoppable.

Discipline: Jim Rohn said that discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. Successful people do the things that others don’t like to do, even though they may not like doing them either. For example, successful people always tackle difficult tasks. They take care of themselves well. All of this requires sacrifice, which is a key word when it comes to success. Develop your discipline muscles to win big in life.

Dedication: Dedication to your life is one of the keys to success. Many experts talk about successful careers, but we should look at life as a whole. Dedicate yourself to every aspect of your life. As Viktor Frankl said, life is asking each of us a question—it’s up to us to answer the call. Be dedicated to your dreams and take action toward them.

Determination: Determination is the key to keep going when you face the inevitable setbacks that are bound to occur in anyone’s journey. Keep your dreams and goals at the forefront of your mind as you encounter detours along the path to success. Maintain your determination by developing your grit. As Angela Duckworth says, grit is passion and perseverance toward your long-term goals.

Dare: Dare to take calculated risks. This can be tricky, as people often think taking risks means doing something really scary. But each person’s risk tolerance is different. Taking risks in small doses increases your chances of success. It may be as simple as taking up an assignment others are avoiding. Keep pushing your personal frontiers toward the goals you’ve defined.

Deep: Go deep in your learning and your work. As Cal Newport says, deep work will be the most valuable type of work going forward. With so many distractions, the people who can focus will be the ones who win big. Deep work is “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit.” These efforts create new value, improve your skills, and are hard to replicate.

Deserve: You deserve all the good things you’ve rightly earned through your talent and hard work. There’s no reason why each of us shouldn’t achieve success if we rightfully earn it. Believe in yourself, put in the work and you will get what you deserve. I believe instead of defining a specific destination if we decide that we will give our best every day then leave the results to take care of itself.

Deliberate Practice: Deliberate practice sets successful people apart. This is exemplified by Michael Phelps’ dedication to hard work. His quote “People were taking breaks during and after the Olympics. I was working all the time. Six months later, I broke the world record… Sometimes my goggles broke in practice, that’s how intensely I pushed myself. So when my goggles fell off in the water at the Olympics, my mind went back to those moments, and I was ready… It’s what you do in the dark that brings you to light. It’s the stuff behind closed doors, the blood, sweat and tears.” Another example is Michael Jordan and in the book Relentless Tim Grover said Michael Jordan didn’t study the competition instead he made the competition study him. Find out the experts in your field, connect with them, read their books, read their blogs, listen to their podcasts, document what you have learned and share what you have learned.

Dependable: Dependability is a crucial trait for success. As some say, the most important ability is dependability. How would it feel if everyone around you described you as dependable? Keep your promises, accept mistakes, and communicate effectively. Being dependable never goes out of style.

Detachment: Detachment is the key to be peaceful as you go through life. Basically this means investing in the process. You do everything you can to achieve what you want but the result is not in your hands. Accept whatever result comes with equanimity. The basic premise is to be peaceful in life you need to be detached from outcomes. As Shakespeare said “There is nothing good or bad thinking makes it so.” Of course this is not easy but with practice it is a quality that can be developed. The other key is also to detach completely from your work for some period of time to renew yourself. In this time of enormous uncertainty that time away is absolutely needed for you to function at your best.

Decisive: All successful people are highly decisive. They take decisions fast and they are very slow to change any decision they made. In Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill writes that one of the success qualities of Henry Ford was he was totally decisive. He made decisions fast and if he had to make a change he took his time. In recent times Eric Schmidt says being decisive is one of the keys to become a successful leader.

Dauntless: All successful people are highly decisive but they are dauntless once they made their decision to achieve their dreams. This is basically having the courage to overcome your fears towards your ultimate destination. Build your courage muscles and you will win in the end.

Demeanor: This is very important because the way you behave with other people also determine how successful you will become. Practice kindness, compassion, brevity and simplicity in dealing with others and you will enjoy your success more. What you project to others is how you are perceived by others. So control your demeanor and you will win a few friends.

Distinctive: This is very important because with the advent of ChatGPT and other AI methodologies you need to create something distinctive to stay relevant. Your personal brand should stand for something and be a purple cow or blue ocean. Be distinctive to win in the marketplace by identifying skills that are still relevant for humans.

Daily action: As John Maxwell said you can’t change something in your life unless you change something you do daily. This simply means you should take daily action against your well defined goals. If you want to lose weight do that extra step, if you want a promotion just put a little more effort and so on. Keeping a daily journal on your progress also helps in keeping you motivated for the long haul.

Dreams: Finally you need to convert your desires into a burning dream. Dreams can help us skip obstacles and keep going when it does get tough. The only reason why the tough get going when the going gets tough is because of their burning dreams which keeps them well into the game where others might give up. It is worth pondering what makes your heart sing and what gets your passion juices flowing. Once you have that in place you can go ahead with full gusto to your strongly cherished dreams.

Deductive Reasoning: Critical thinking and problem-solving are crucial for navigating challenges on the path to success. Use deductive reasoning to break down complex problems, find solutions, and make informed decisions.

Determination to Learn: Success isn’t just about what you know now; it’s about your willingness to keep learning. Lifelong learning keeps you adaptable and open to new opportunities that can enhance your success.

Direction: Without direction, even the most ambitious goals can falter. Set clear priorities and establish a roadmap for your success journey. Regularly check in on your progress and adjust your direction as needed.

Incorporating these 20 D’s into your daily life will set you on a path toward the success you desire. Each of these traits represents an essential component of the hard work and dedication required to achieve greatness.

Thanks for reading this post. The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.