For many of us, building a successful career is an important goal in our life. We want a career that we enjoy, feel passionate about and that facilitates the lifestyle that we want to lead.
Sometimes, however, we become bogged down in the every day and lose sight of what we really want from our careers. While we may feel we need to sacrifice some things in order to get to where we want to be, be careful not to lose your way.
Here at 10 crucial career lessons that you should learn sooner rather than later.
1. Don’t stay in a job you hate
If your job is consistently making you miserable then it’s not the right place for you to be. We spend so much of our time at work and it’s important that you’re happy whilst you are there. Life is too short to be putting up with a company that treats you poorly, an overbearing boss or mind-numbing tasks that you hate.
Getting a new job can be a scary prospect, but it is a much better option than staying put in a job you hate. Know that you can find something better and that you deserve it!
2. Take care of yourself
Our health is extremely important, and it is certainly not worth risking for career success or wealth. We’re not machines that can work non-stop – our bodies and our minds need rest so that we can stay healthy and perform at our best. Ensure that you learn how to switch off after work, take vacations and enjoy your down time in order to stay happy and healthy.
3. Listen to others
Listening skills are crucial to success and happiness in both your life and career. Learning to listen to others will help you to solve problems, be more creative and most important, it shows people you care. If you don’t listen carefully, it is very difficult to fully understand a situation and to react accordingly. If you are not listening more than you speak then perhaps it’s time to make a conscious effort to change that. You’ll soon see the benefits!
4. Know that it is ok to fail
We all experience failure and rejection throughout our lives, but it’s how we deal with our failures that makes the biggest difference going forward. Positive thinking is the key. It’s important not to dwell on and wallow in our failures, but to learn from them, pick ourselves up and bounce back stronger than ever. Watch Kathryn Shultz’s renowned TedTalk, ‘On being wrong’, to discover how failure can help us to be more successful.
5. Don’t let your life be all about money
Many of us define our success on the amount of money we have. However, it’s important to remember that money isn’t the be all and end all. Think about other ways you can measure and feel successful. What else will give you a feeling of fulfilment? It may be helping others or challenging yourself in your hobbies and interests.
6. Surround yourself with the right people
It’s important that the friends, family and colleagues around you are positive and supportive. They should be people who are always motivating you to do better. You don’t want friends who make you feel like you aren’t good enough or that you can’t achieve your dreams.
7. Find your work/life balance
When it comes to work, it often feels like there is always more that we can do – it’s never-ending! However, if you’re always working hard and long hours to provide for your family, it’s easy to forget what’s even more important than that; spending precious time with them. Ensure that you learn to switch off after work and have valuable family time, or you will regret it later in life.
8. There’s no point in worrying
Worrying does not solve anything, in fact, all it does is magnify our fears and make us feel more anxious. It’s important to push through your worries and focus on action, because when we do we often see that we had nothing to worry about at all.
9. Know there is always more to learn
No matter how experienced we are, there is always more to learn and ways we can improve ourselves. Keep this in mind and continue o push yourself to learn more, be a better expert and stay at the forefront of your industry.
10. Be happy in the now
For many of us, we spend so much of our time and energy focusing on our goals and what will make us happy that we sometimes forget to be happy with where we are and what we have now. We’re always going to be chasing moving targets and striving to take ourselves higher but remember that you are already successful and you already have plenty to be happy about.
If you can learn these lessons now, you’ll lead a happier and more successful life.