If eighty-hour workweeks and impending layoffs are leaving you apprehensive about your career decision, you're not alone. These days, countless professionals are yearning for more fulfilling careers. Unfortunately, many business people are going through their day-to-day work activities and feeling as if they're pedaling a bicycle uphill in the wrong gear. They secretly yearn for the feelings of freedom and self-reliance they used to have when they were children pedaling away on their very own Schwinns, Huffys, and Evans Colsons.
How can we recapture those childhood feelings of independence, adventure, and joy?
1. Safely navigate work's potholes, ruts, curbs, obstacles, and challenges
In order to excel professionally, you need the ability to learn from any past mistakes rather than dwell on them. The truth is that the only wrong mistake is one we don't learn from - when things go wrong, we have a choice. We can criticize ourselves and curse our own bad luck, or we can coach ourselves, extract value from what we learned, and focus on how we can handle that situation better in the future. The next time something devastating happens to you, whether it's a layoff or a failed project, remember there are lessons to be learned.
2. Take the direct route
Many people are so confused at work that they don't know what is expected of them anymore. It's during these times that people need to use straight talk to solve issues. Communicate openly and honestly. Encourage your colleagues to think about what they really want to say, writing down the message, and practicing it. The more you practice direct communication, the more you use it... the more comfortable you'll feel, and the more your colleagues will follow your lead.
3. Stay balanced when the road is bumpy
The majority of people are running on empty. If your workday feels out of balance, the quickest way to identify what is missing is to know your core values: What's holding you back from achieving balance in your day? Can you say no to the things that aren't consistent with your core values? When you ignore your personal values for the sake of others, keeping balanced is a challenging ordeal. To gain balance, you first must be true to yourself. When you can gear down, relax, and enjoy the flowers on the side of the road, you can finally see the right path.
4, Stop pedaling in circles
How long has it been since you've tried something new and different in your work?
After evaluating yourself personally, ask people you trust to make suggestions on how you need to grow. Use their advice to guide your education decisions. Do you need to take a computer class, a writing course, or attend a management training workshop?
To carve a new career or enhance your current one, you must take responsibility for your own future and learn new skills on a daily basis.
Conclusion
Your ability to safely navigate workday obstacles, communicate with impact, stay balanced, and keep learning will help you recapture the feelings of your youth - when your bike was your ticket to exhilaration. You're the one in control! Sometimes the journey will be easy coasting, while other times it will be an uphill bumpy trek. Either way, it's up to you to shift your professional life in gear and create your own career path.
0 comments:
Post a Comment