Have you ever heard that you are your own worst enemy? It’s true. Lots of time when we’re not getting anywhere, career-wise, it turns out that we can only blame ourselves. But, before you throw those hands up in the air in frustration, learn about these ways in which you might be holding yourself back — and more importantly, find out how to let yourself succeed.
(Photo Credit: joncandy/Flickr)
1. Don’t Use Shortcuts
If you’re impatient or unfocused, mistakes will happen. This isn’t to say you can’t create “smart solutions” or look to increase productivity. There’s always room for innovation! But don’t expect greatness to arrive overnight. Just like the old joke says, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!” Spend the time, do the work, research the project, have the answers at the ready. These are all the traits of someone who gets noticed (and gets promoted).
2. Don’t Freak Out
Emotions are not your friend at work. If you don’t get the thing you want (the promotion, the raise, the hire, the seat by the window) for crying out loud, keep it together! Nobody wants to deal with the drama, so don’t be the drama queen (or king). That baseball player who punches the water cooler makes the highlight reel, sure, but for all the wrong reasons. The person who takes a loss in stride and looks for ways to improve is seen as a natural leader and a level head in the midst of chaos. You want to be that guy.
3. Don’t Lose Focus
Focusing on a task at hand, whether the goal is short-term or long-term, is key to success, yet so many of us struggle to keep our eyes on the proverbial prize. Whether it’s small time wasters like checking your social media accounts every two minutes or big time sucks like being unable to prioritize your tasks so you remain inert all day, not getting the job done is still a big mark in the fail column. Find ways to increase your productivity (here are some good tips and pitfalls to watch out for) and actually stick to them. If you need to change venues/desks/head spaces to get it done, then by all means, get it done!
4. Don’t Be Timid
Even if you’re an introvert, you still should have goals and ambition for your career. Whether it’s a short-term goal of networking better, or a long-term one of founding your own company, being shy about it doesn’t get you anywhere. Find your psych-up song and sing it loud! Write down your goals for 2016 and get going on them today! Get your own career coach and have them growl at you like Burgess Meredith in Rocky! Do what you need to do to get it done. You can do it! We believe in you.
Tell Us What You Think
How do you stay productive and on track? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
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