Want to kick-start your career? Then you should really zero in on results, says motivational trainer BrianTracy.

By mastering high-return tasks - and expanding your job to embrace new goals - you boost the odds of getting noticed.

People who score plum jobs and glide into the fast track play by the following rules, Tracy says.

Contribution is everything. “Companies or people do not set wages or salaries. They merely administer the judgements of the marketplace,” he said. The more you contribute to your company’s success, the more leverage you’ll have in getting paid more.

Nuke job insecurity. People are insecure in their jobs and face stagnant income levels because they fail to boost their value. “If a person doesn’t continually learn and grow, developing his skills ever higher, (his value) will gradually decline over time,” he wrote in “Create Your own Future.” What will follow? "Terminations, Iayoffs, downsizing and extended periods of unemployment."

Make the Connection. Luck and work usually go hand in hand. “A person who works efficiently and well, and gets a lot of high-value work done on or before schedule, seems to get a lot of lucky breaks,” he said.

Polish Your Brand. Your reputation is “what people say behind your back,” journalist Edgar Howe once noted. “Think of words people use to describe you when you're not around. Then come up with words you’d like them to use. Create a plan to get from here to there. “Everything you do to improve your reputation improves your perceived value,” Tracy said.

Broaden Your Job's Boundaries. Point out goals that aren’t being reached, list ways they could be attained, and ask that achieving the goals be part of your job description. Do what it takes to reach them and you’ll either get a raise or promotion - or have experience you can sell elsewhere.

Look to the Consequences. When scheduling tasks, bottom-line their payoff. Postpone or delegate low-result jobs.

Take the Long-Term View. “People with long-term perspectives make their day-to-day decisions based on where they want to be many years in the future,” Tracy said. The result? “Long-term thinking improves short-term decision-making. Resolve to make sacrifices to reach long-term goals.

Stay Focused. During the workday, keep the following questions in mind, Tracy advises.

1 “What are my highest-value activities?

What do you do that contributes the greatest value to your company and career? Keep working to expand those skills.

2. “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?”

“Your ability to answer this question, and apply yourself to doing only that one thing, is the key to high personal performance and maximum productivity," Tracy said.

3. “What tasks am I totally responsible for?"

Own them by doing them better than anyone else could.

Refine Your Work. Cut unneeded steps out of every job.

Forget Past Mistakes. “Focusing 100% of your energies forward gives you the critical edge,” Tracy said.