Candid Career Advice #3: My 3 C's that will carry you (& your career goals) into the New Year STRONG
Candid Career Advice #3: My 3 C's that will carry you (& your career goals) into the New Year STRONG
Because 2021 is ready for you.
TL;DR - Scroll to the bottom if you want the takeaways.
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If you’re wondering where I’ve been these past two weeks, I was
catching up on sleep. End of year closeouts at work means working overtime.
taking a mental break catching up with family because we already know productivity will resume after New Years.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program…
After countless layoffs, endless days and nights applying for jobs, and working from home until TBD, you’ve made it the homestretch of 2020.
While this year has been far from anything we expected it to be, I want to leave you with my three (3) C’s that will carry you (and your career goals) into the New Year STRONG.
Stay committed.
Maybe you’re still looking for a new gig and it’s taking longer than expected. Maybe your recent plunge into entrepreneurial life proved to be more difficult than you imagined. Maybe you keep falling short of a goal you’ve set for yourself.
I know it’s tough. But you should also know that difficulties, challenges, setbacks, failures, and rejections are to be expected.
Success cannot exist without failure. Change does not come without challenges. And the changes we want to see can’t happen without our commitment to make them happen.
Whether difficulties, challenges, setbacks, failures, and rejections were due to our own actions, or were out of our control, what will always be in our control is how we respond.
When I say “stay committed,” I challenge you to respond with positive action and good intent.
I often hear people say they’re “passionate” about X. But what’s passion without commitment? Commitment requires doing what needs to be done, even if you don’t want to, and even when shit gets difficult.
For example, try committing to:
following up one more time (forget any notion about being annoying; sometimes people get busy).
applying to one more job (it only takes one yes!)
learning from each rejection (because as much as it hurts, it’s important to understand the ‘why’ and see what you can do about it).
pivoting, not pausing (sometimes a small change can make all the difference).
Be curious.
If 2020 taught us anything, it was how to be more innovative.
If you have the luxury to work from home, take advantage of a reduced commute time to lean into your others interests. If your job was negatively impacted by coronavirus, leverage your unique skill set and capitalize on your transferrable skills to pivot and meet other in-demand roles, needs, and services.
When you lean into your curiosity, you’ll be surprised by the plethora of opportunities that suddenly become available.
“Okay but what if I don’t have the time, the money, the help, or the strength to be curious?”
Simple put, you have to work with what you got.
Some people are more privileged than others. Some people will have it easier than others. Whether your journey is slow or fast, easy or difficult, exploring your own curiosity is taking one step towards a future you desire.
The only thing guaranteed in life is change — and being adaptable and curious about alternatives is crucial to making a less than ideal situation easier to deal with and overcome.
Become the dream chaser.
No matter how big or small our personal dreams are, they exist to remind us of what is possible and what we are capable of achieving.
If you’re curious about what you’re capable of, stop daydreaming and start dream chasing by asking yourself:
What if I applied to that job I don’t have 100% of the qualifications for?
What if I opened my own shop?
What if I asked X for help?
What if I just go for it?
The worst thing that can happen if you don’t act on your curiosities is nothing. But what's the best that can happen? Perhaps everything that you ever wanted.
Stay confident.
I cannot stress enough how empowering it feels to be confident in your own strengths, who you are, and how you choose to live your life.
I don’t know your personal story or the experiences that might have shaken your confidence. What I do know is that confidence isn’t about being right, knowing everything, having everything figured out, or being brave.
Confidence stems from trusting yourself completely and being certain that whatever it is you choose to do, or not do—even in the face of fear and even as you encounter difficult situations—is the best decision.
“Yeah but like you said, my confidence IS shaken right now so how do I cultivate this energy?”
If you’re feeling anything but confident, I encourage you to
surround yourself with your “circle of champions,” which includes those who support you, understand you, and can even knock some sense into you because all too often we are hardest on ourselves.
reconnect with the things that bring you joy.
create a “smile file,” AKA a brag document. Journal or jot down your accomplishments and experiences that make you feel most proud which will serve as a reminder that despite difficult situations, you’re still here, you’re still fabulous, and you’re still capable. (Not to mention, it’s a great tool to use when looking to make a career pivot).
With your regained or new-found confidence there shouldn’t be anything holding you back from making your next move.
Takeaways:
The 3 C's that will carry you (& your career goals) into the New Year STRONG are commitment, curiosity, and confidence.
The changes we want to see can’t happen without our commitment to make them happen.
Acting on your curiosities means being adaptable while widening a door of more opportunities.
Confidence stems from trusting yourself completely and being certain that whatever it is you choose to do, or not do—even in the face of fear and even as you encounter difficult situations—is the best decision.
I talk about my three (3) C’s extensively on my site which you can see for yourself here.
And with that my friends, I wish you a Happy New Year!
Ciao for now,
Katrina