We’re halfway through January, but it doesn’t mean it’s too late to come up with your New Year’s resolutions. We started the year with our 2020 Casual Resolutions Kit to help. It’s easier to gain clarity on your goal when you take the time to think about them and consider your priorities. As a result, you may realize now that what you hope to achieve in 2020 is to move your career forward whether you do that outside the home or from a home office.
Starting the new year with professional aspirations is a fantastic opportunity for you to question your choices, your knowledge and even your trajectory. It is fair to say that moving your career could mean a variety of things. But, more importantly, it is something that you need to review carefully by asking yourself the right questions. Ultimately, moving your career forward might be the ultimate goal, but your top priority right now is to make space in your mind to figure where and how your career needs to go. Therefore, you need to keep a clear and focused mind to avoid those pesky professional wreckers:
#1. The voice that tells you you can’t do it
Your worst enemy can be yourself. It’s unbelievable the length your self-critic goes to discourage yourself of doing anything! You know that little voice in your head that tells you that you absolutely can’t achieve your goal? It’s time to stop it in its tracks. Stopping negative thoughts is a skill you can learn to master over time. Spoiler alert: It’s not going to happen overnight. You will have to work hard at it, but using some tips to calm your nerves; you can learn to ignore your inner critic. Everybody can feel the moment the little voice is about to take over. Don’t let it. Instead, take a deep breath that will help your body to let go of the stress. This simple move can keep your anxiety at bay and let you carry on with your plans without negative interruptions. The post below gives you a variety of helpful ideas to stop negative thoughts.
Tips to Stop Negative Thoughts in Their Tracks
#2. The lack of resourceful thinking
How many times have you regretted your study choices because you feel stuck in a profession that can’t seem to progress? Here’s the thing you need to realize: There is always a way to move to the next level. You need to be ready to think creatively. As a nurse, for instance, you may not be prepared to pile of additional years of studies to become a doctor, but have you considered becoming a highly educated nurse practitioner instead? The Bradley University has an interesting article that lines out the career progression path for nurses and managerial opportunities. In other words, you might want to dig a little further into your study opportunities to find an opening.
#3. The belief others are better
How many times do we need to tell you? Stop comparing yourself to others! It is never a fair comparison, as more often than not you try to compare your worse against their best. But without knowledge of their journey, their failures and their sacrifices, the process is pointless and self-destructive. If you want to boost your career, the first thing you need to do is to believe in yourself and acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses.
#4. Accept that success demands sacrifices
Success doesn’t come easy or naturally to anybody. Everyone works hard to make things happen. It takes a lot of time to learn new skills and feel confident in your practice. As a result, you have to be clear about what you are ready to commit to. If you want to progress your career, you may need to make time to improve your skills set or even to apply to new jobs. You need to accept that things won’t happen unless you make a change to let them come your way. In other words, moving forward means letting go of what’s holding you in this position, whether it is your coworkers, your routine, or your lifestyle.
#5. Understand what matters to you
What does it mean to move your career forward? Do you want a promotion to a managerial position? Do you want to change your career? Do you want to gain more free time to spend with your friends and family? There is no right or wrong, but you need to understand what you expect to achieve. Professionally speaking, the typical social expectation is to move higher in the hierarchy. However, it’s not what everybody wants or needs from their job. Finding what makes you happy may be different from what people expect from you.
If you want to make 2020 the year of making your dream job happen, it’s time to embrace your potential, your strengths and weaknesses, and your desires. Remember, there is no biggest obstacles than the one you put in your own path, whether it’s self-criticism or lack of creative thinking.
