Do favors for people, and listen to their problems and aspirations. The more interested and open you are, the more you'll learn from others. Many people use business card catalogs or Rolodex files to build a handy reference on their business contacts. You should do the same. Enter personal and business information on each entry as you learn it - employment history, birthdays, family members, hobbies and interests, and so on.
Information is power.
Cultivate contacts with colleagues with colleagues who have information of value to you. Every trade or industry has its experts - people who know the right answers and do an excellent job regardless of circumstances. They become the best at what they do because they personally enjoy doing jobs right. Like you, these experts are committed and ambitious. Winning their friendship and enlisting their aid will increase your chances of success because you can count on a job well done if they assist you.