30 June 2008
Tomorrow Will Be A Better Day
Posted by Nina under: Career Management; Career Planning .
By Deborah Brown-Volkman
Your career has its ups and downs. We all have or have had career slumps and they do pass. If you are feeling “slumpish” these days, know that you will look back one day and recognize the valuable lessons you’ve learned from this time in your life. Everything happens for a reason—you just might not know the reason yet.
If this is a down period for you, the good news is it’s up from here.
While you are figuring things out, trust that tomorrow will be a better day. Here’s how to focus on what’s yet to come.
1. Write Down What You Want Your Future To Look Like
Create a picture of where you see yourself in the future. Your picture can be one of where you want to be in a day, a week, a month, a year, or even farther into the future. This picture gives your journey a clear and reachable destination and provides focus.
Close your eyes. Let your imagination take over. Get in touch with what you really want and what is important to you. Ask yourself what you want and get your answers down on paper. Keep this description with you and look at it every day. Great things tend to happen to those who know where they are going.
2. Have A Plan
Once you have your answers, you can begin to put them into a formal structure.
Having a plan is vital to your success. With a plan, a fulfilling career will be far easier to achieve. Without a plan, you will be working far harder than you have to.
The trick is to be clear about the steps that are necessary to ensure your success. The more specific you can be in describing your steps, the better. Figuring out in detail what steps you will take—and when you will take them—is the foundation of your plan.
Another reason to create a plan is that it will prevent your goals from becoming overwhelming. The temptation to feel overwhelmed is normal. You are, after all, about to jumpstart your career. The structure of your plan will give you comfort and help you get moving again.
3. Take Action
Action is essential to your success. And, one of the best ways to keep your momentum going is having the steps you created in your plan written into your calendar.
Use your calendar as your friend to help guide you and keep you on track. Having a calendar will help determine whether you reach your goal or not. If your steps are written into your calendar, there is a higher probability that you can quickly check them off your list, because what you need to do is in front of you. If your steps are not in your calendar, they probably will not get done, because you may forget what you need to do.
Your calendar is your friend. Begin your friendship by opening your calendar and entering the steps from your plan into it. Commit to doing at least one thing every day, whether you feel like it or not. One action per day leads to a substantial number of actions taken over time. This is how you will be successful.
4. Tell Yourself That Greatness Is Waiting For You
The workplace, from time to time, can take a toll on your self-esteem. For example, if you are working in an environment that is filled with negativity, it will be harder for you to be positive. If your boss tells you daily that your work is no good, it will be harder for you to believe in your abilities. If you have been out of work for some time, it will be harder for you to trust that you have something worthwhile to contribute to the workplace, or more difficult to think why someone would hire you.
How you view yourself is how the world views you, too. If you are confident, the world sees a confident individual. If you don’t feel good about yourself (for whatever reason), the world sees a person they don’t have to pay much attention to.
Many clients have asked me whether I think they will be successful in reaching their goals. My answer is yes—if they do the work and they believe in themselves.
About the Author
Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC, is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. She is the author of “Don\’t Blow It! The Right Words For The Right Job,” “Coach Yourself To A New Career,” and “How To Feel Great At Work Everyday.” Deborah can be reached at http://www.surpassyourdreams.com