Personally, I've always been a big fan of "hustling." I have made a conscious effort to always be hustling, especially at work. I try to bring hustle to everything I do. Skip the coffee break. Forget hanging out by the water cooler. Follow up promptly. Even little things like how quickly I walk from meeting to meeting. I look around my company and just see people moping apathetically, like they have all the time in the world. My game is: Try to move fast and do a good job even when nobody is looking/measuring. It's a character trait. I firmly believe things like hustle, grit, and backbone are the few tools that normal, working class non-super-talented people such as myself can use to even have a shot at evening the field against the already-privileged and already-talented people who take everything for granted.<p>I'm nowheres near where I wished I'd be career-wise at 40, but I credit how far I've managed to claw my way, mainly to luck but otherwise to internalizing the importance of hustle.