January 25, 2006

How to Kill Your Career

Autumn Pasture Near the Alabama/Florida border

I received this in a interoffice email and I believe it came from MSN, but I wasnt able to pull it up and find the Byline...I have found these things to be true in my own working life. Many of these are expectations from days gone by or are products of our dysfunctional age. I wish that I was just a little better at dealing with this stuff these days

How to Kill Your Career in 10 Easy Steps

1. Wallowing in the Past
Everyone messes up at some point or other. The important thing is often not the mistake itself, but rather how quickly you recover and move on from it. When you're at fault, admit it, apologize, fix it and then go forward. By recovering quickly, you'll learn from mistakes and save a lot of time and aggravation.

2. Being a Control Freak
High stress levels have been traced to a national trend toward controlling behavior. Controlling people concern themselves not only with their own thoughts and actions, but insist others think and act in certain ways as well. This is a losing battle. Try to see the advantages in how others approach things. Not only will you experience less tension, you'll find that when people feel accepted for who they are, they will be more inclined to help you.

3. Wishing You Were Someplace Else
When you're at work, you wish you were home; when it's Monday you wish it were Saturday... it's almost impossible to be focused and effective when your mind is preoccupied with where it would rather be. If you're not careful, you can begin wishing your life away. Spending less time wanting to be somewhere else and more time focused on what you're actually doing will help you regain your enthusiasm and be more creative and productive.

4. Negative Thinking
Many people are held back by negative or fearful thoughts. For years an independent salesperson told herself it wasn't worth calling prospects on weekends because they might be offended. Truth was, she was afraid to make the calls. Once she decided to drop her fear and pick up the phone, she discovered weekends were an excellent time to call, because more people were home, relaxed and receptive. As a result, she tripled her income.

5. Not Asking For What You Want
Be it a raise, more resources for a project or a second chance, it's amazing what you can accomplish simply by asking for what you want. The key is to believe in your request and that others want to help you.

6. Becoming Too Attached to Outcomes
Being attached to a specific outcome takes enormous amounts of energy and creates anxiety that gets in your way of doing your best. Being detached, on the other hand, creates emotional freedom. It means trying hard and really caring, but at the same time being completely willing to let go of the outcome. Detachment takes the pressure off and lets you enjoy the process.

7. Fear of Public Speaking
Experts repeatedly say speaking in front of groups is the No. 1 fear in America -- topping even bankruptcy and death! Yet, the increased visibility and advancement opportunities you gain from being able to present to groups are enormous. Take a public speaking course, then put yourself in situations that require you to get up and talk in front of people. You'll find it gets easier and more fun with practice.

8. Self-Absorption
Self-absorbed individuals love to hear themselves talk and see others as instruments to get what they want. This is not only unattractive, it's detrimental to your personal development. Self-absorbed people tend to have poor relationships and slow learning curves, since they don't listen well. If you're drifting in that direction, make an adjustment. Everyone will benefit.

9. Making Career Decisions to Please Others
Too many people choose a career based on what they think will impress or win the approval of others. However, your best chance at success is through doing work you love. If you're not happy in your chosen field, consider switching to one for which you have a genuine interest or passion.

10. Always Seeking Perfection
Not everything has to go perfectly to be a success. Pick what is important and concentrate your efforts there. As for the rest, lowering your expectations a bit will allow you to relax and focus on the most important aspects of your job.