Posted on 19/05/2017 by Mared Roberts
Because of turbulence, storms and other unpredictable conditions, aeroplanes are apparently kept off-track up to 90% of the time… I recently heard this and was amazed at the fact! To then consider that most flights reach their correct destinations, exactly where they planned to be, at pretty much exactly the right time, is quite incredible. It immediately prompted me to think about how this can apply to our careers. It is probably true to say that most of us, at some points in our lives, feel as if we have lost our way, but what a positive and encouraging thought to realise that we can always make appropriate corrections and get to where we are ultimately meant to be.
It's so easy to feel as if we are off-track in our careers. We set off with a goal in mind, one that could well have been many years ago, which possibly didn't happen, or hasn't happened yet. Maybe it didn't go quite as we planned because we didn't complete that course, degree or the qualifications that we needed, or we took a career break at an unfortunate time and never quite got back to where we were beforehand. It could have been for family or health reasons, or just that we took the wrong path or were distracted by life. We all have perfectly legitimate reasons for not having quite achieved or reached our ideal goals or destination, yet the amazing thing is that there is always time to get back on track, correct the path, and there is no need to feel as if we have failed by having lost our way a little along the journey.
I’m hoping these four simple tips will help you make the all-important tweaks to keep you on course:
- Get organised and focused - Declutter your personal space. All that paperwork and the unnecessary items on your desktop and around your living space have to go! Arranging a physical clear out will clear your mind, and help to get you focused on what's important and what you want to achieve. It’s impossible to feel in control if we live in a state of chaos!
- Look after your health - Stop eating those foods that we know are bad for us and make us feel lethargic and tired, and start listening to your body and giving it the fuel and exercise it needs. By starting with a healthy regime, we instantly feel happier with ourselves, as if we are back in control. These can be tiny, small steps, but they can have a big impact and starting with a healthy diet can work wonders. Healthy body, healthy mind!
- Ask for help - Once you have identified what you would like to achieve, in order to work towards it, don't be afraid to ask for advice! Strangely enough for some of us, we are amazed that once we ask for support, help or guidance, it is there for us and we only had to ask to receive it. This could be from career professionals, your family or friends, work colleagues, mentors or our managers – we often just need to remember to ask. Requesting some advice, ideas and direction on where to improve and where we can develop ourselves might seem an obvious solution but one that we regularly ignore. If we don't ask, very often no-one has any idea that we even have these aspirations, and that is why many people don't get to that goal.
- Track your progress and write down your goals in a diary – You will quickly see how much better you feel once you have made even small, minor changes and how much of a difference they make. By making a note in order to track what you have done and looking back in a couple of weeks, or a month later, it helps you to be more aware of the changes you’re feeling and is a great motivator. This helps us recognise how seemingly insignificant changes (whether to declutter your space, to improve your eating habits or that investment in training/mentoring/support at work) make such a big impact. No matter how small this might be or appear at first, it shows that you are making progress, makes you feel in control, and back on track!
It is easy to lose our sense of direction and feel that our lives or careers are off course. We can correct this by ensuring that we take care of ourselves, by getting organised, regaining our focus on where we want to get to and by looking after our health. We can also get back on track by asking for the right advice and guidance. Remember that we are often surrounded by support, once we ask for it. It is never too late to take that qualification, start that extra training, ask for that new experience at work, or even to apply for that new job.
Our careers play an important part in our lives and time often appears to run away from us. We may well be off-track up to 90% of the time, but we can still get to that destination, and there is always time for course-correction!
If you are looking for any career advice, possibly considering exploring a new path or direction, please feel free to get in touch with us at Charlotte Frank Recruitment info@charlottefrank.com or with me at mr@charlottefrank.com