Your Career and its potential.

If you desire to make the most of your abilities and live up to your full career potential, you need to start using them to make the most of your career, if you want to enhance it or transition it.  It is your responsibility to change your habits to attain or enhance the skills needed to take you to your desired level.

The question is often posed what makes a high achiever?  Is it luck, intelligence, talent, dedication?

All of these things arguably are important and they do play a significant role,  they all make a difference.  One key thing that will aid you in your career, regardless whether you stay in it or choose to transition it, is a focus and belief in the potential that you have.

It is beneficial to begin a full and complete assessment  of your career potential.  To do this you must take an inventory of yourself by making a few lists.

Be honest with yourself.  When that list is done, make a list of all the things you like to do, even if you think you can’t do them well.  Then, make a list of all the things you would like to do, if you could.

Go back to the list of things you can do well, it is most likely that you are probably being hard on yourself, most of us are.  We have this little voice in our heads telling us things like:  “You’re aren’t capable of that,” or “You can’t learn to do that,”  or “You never do anything right,” the concerning thing is that we tend to listen to that voice – a wrong move.   It is best to block these thoughts out. Here is a tactic for you,  pretend you are your best friend – it’s amazing how much more forgiving and charitable we are with our friends than we are with ourselves.  Now that you are  your best friend, you should be able to add a few more items to your “do well” list.

Next, go to your list of things you like to do but you feel you are capable of.  Speaking as your own best friend, do you think there are some  things on this list that could be moved to your “do well” list?  There probably are.  If you like to do it, chances are you are quite good at it.

Next, go to your list of things you would like to do if you could.  Ask yourself, “Why can’t I do this, if I’d like to?”  Put your reasons on another list.  OK.  So you have a lot of lists going – what good is that going to do?  Well, you have just made an assessment of yourself.  If you have been truly honest in making these lists, it may even be a fairly accurate assessment.  Probably it isn’t, but that’s OK.  This assessment isn’t carved in stone.  It’s subject to change.  But for now we will work with what’s on the lists.  At least you have a place to start.

Look over your lists again.  You are focusing on all the things you feel you can’t do and the reasons why you can’t do them, right?  Well, don’t, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO – FOCUS ON YOUR POTENTIAL.  Make it a habit to focus on your strengths.  Don’t forget to include your undeveloped potential, as well.  Train yourself to focus on your potential instead of your limitations, before you know it the career transition or job you desire is within reach.

Focusing on your limitations allows them to  make decisions for you.  If you concentrate on your strengths lets YOU make the decision and empowers you.  Very few people concentrate on fully developing any of their strengths, why?  If you do this right, this is where you will get the edge.  You know your true disadvantages (don’t dwell on them)  but your determination, your singleness of purpose, will inspire you to fully develop the talents and skills you do have.

If you wish to  discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to contact me for an initial informal chat.

 

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