Career Advice Minus the Buzzwords

The best thing you can do for your career isn't to discover the best job interview answers, follow the five top leadership strategies, or memorize all 14 habits of top-paid executives. If you want a great career, never forget that each moment of your life is precious.

I say this because someone else's life just flashed before my eyes. It seemed like a dream. I was watching this little girl, and her wide eyes were staring at me as she sat unmoving. No, wait -- although she wasn't moving, it became obvious that something was changing. She was aging, right before my eyes.

The dream continued, only it wasn't a dream at all. It was a short (five-minute) film by Anthony Cerniello called Danielle. I've been thinking about it all weekend.

It's easy to get stuck, at work or home

Somehow, my hair seems thinner now than it used to be. All my "kids" are taller than me. My wife, of course, hasn't aged a bit, but the rest of us seem to have matured in the blink of an eye.

How did that happen?

We age without noticing it, except during certain life cycle events such as graduations and marriages. Then one day we realize that someone younger than us is our boss, or that it now seems impossible to touch our toes.

It's all too easy to waste a year or two of your career, waiting for your boss to recognize your true talents, or simply being upset over how "badly" you've been treated.

It's tempting to take a year here and there to let someone else carry most of the load, because you have already done "more" than your share.

But - faster than you can imagine - you'll be looking back and envying the "young" you, the one who had talent, energy and opportunity all around.

No greater lesson: time flies

If it makes you happy, memorize management principles and emulate people you admire. Read bestselling business books, and internalize their lessons.

But nothing will contribute more to the quality of your career than the knowledge - in the front of your mind, not the back - that time flies and that you have to be present to the greatest extent possible in every moment of each day.

You can watch Danielle on Vimeo or YouTube. If you want a quick preview, you can get the basic idea by clicking through these slides:

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For more from Bruce (@NowPossible), read his free online career guide or Smart Customers, Stupid Companies, visit his site, follow him on LinkedIn, or just check out his Slideshare business card: