What is a professional?

A professional is someone who shows up for work every day, come rain or shine or whatever else is happening in his or her life.

A professional is someone who, no matter how good they are at what they do, knows always that there is so much more that they need to learn – and is prepared to both take and make the time to keep learning.

A professional is someone with an open mind – open to new ideas and new ways of doing things.

A professional knows that you have to keep exploring and experimenting – and that not everything he or she tries is going to work.

A professional can cope with failure.  The next day he picks himself up and starts over.

A professional is a person who knows that doing the job well will require self-mastery.

A professional is recognised by his or her peers.

A professional is full of doubts about her abilities.  But these doubts do not deter her from always aiming to achieve a higher level of perfection.

A professional is a person who keeps going, no matter what.

A professional is able to celebrate achievement.  He or she knows the effort and the hours that have been put in to achieve the required results.  But celebration is always brief for the next day, there will be another mountain to climb.