Over the years I have learned a lot about how to achieve my own career goals. I have been extremely fortunate to work and develop my own growth within some of the world’s largest, most well-known and most reputable companies (such as IBM), as well as small startups and “mom and pop” stores. Throughout my tenure as a professional, I have been asked to coach and mentor many people as they advance in their careers.
Today I would like to introduce 5 strategies that I believe will effectively guide you to grow your own career to the next level. After all, wouldn’t it be helpful to know how to tap into your personal belief system to create strategies for getting your “professional self” in shape so you can work toward your goals?
1) Create a daily list that shows your successes/failures. You should not only extol your successes, but take a close look at what you did to achieve them. Were your daily successes accidents or the result of method and discipline? With the same scrutiny, you should also assess your failures so that you can learn from them. Study what caused the failures, what you could have done differently to affect a different outcome, and set up action plans to make sure you don’t repeat those same mistakes.
2) Set real goals. Focusing on setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and have real due dates is imperative when it comes to professional growth. These goals should push you hard, but be so desirable that achieving these goals will give you a sense of extreme satisfaction. Remember that almost achieving your goals is failure, so be sure to write your goals in a way that indicates you will absolutely reach them, using phrases like “On or before December 31, 2016, I will…” Then read those goals every day to stay focused. Establishing a well thought out and well executed goal strategy is critical if you want to grow in your career.
3) Create a plan to reach your goals. I agree with Geoffrey James of inc.com in a statement he made in his article 8 Beliefs That Make You More Resilient “…if I don’t take action, I will fail by default…” ¹. Therefore, build an action plan that provides you with a step-by-step guide so that you can achieve your goals. And then just run!
4) Always, always focus on doing the right thing. Napoleon Hill stated: “I am fully aware that no wealth or position can last long unless it is based on truth and justice, therefore I will not enter into any transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects.” ²
5) You can be scared but do it anyway.
· John Wayne said: “Courage is to be scared to death, but saddle up anyway.”
· Winston Churchill said: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
· Theodore Roosevelt declared: “It is difficult to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
· And we believe: “Success is just a result. Failure is just a result. Fail as fast as possible so you can learn what not to do.”
Invest in a successful life,
Angela Roberts
(1) Geoffrey James “8 Beliefs That Make You More Resilient” http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/8-beliefs-that-make-you-more-resilient.HTML?nav=pop
(2) “Laws of Success” by Napoleon Hill Copyright 1928, published by The Ralston University Press, p 245
