Invest in Your Career!!

Carve Out Time for Career Planning!

This week, focus on your career. No matter that you aren't seeking a new position or are an entrepreneur. Don't put it off! Begin the week spending just 20 minutes to invest in your future!

Each day we work with diligence to remain relevant to our clients, customers and employers. Ultimately, our success is measured by how well we deliver results, build winning teams and align our values and behaviors with the organization’s culture. This consumes our working days and often creeps into our leisure and vacation time. In my coaching practice, I often see clients who have neglected their careers for years and become frustrated when they are either forced to seek new employment or their new business prospects have dried up.

An important habit to incorporate into one’s career life is an investment of just twenty minutes a week to focus on building and sustaining a career or business. The following three areas will ensure you are making adequate deposits to your career bank:

1. Network Amongst the Best: Seek opportunities to spend time with individuals who are successful in your chosen field or industry. These relationships can be forged through professional and trade association memberships, social media networks and one-on-one mentoring relationships.

2. Maintain Your Expert Status: Keep current on industry trends, know who’s who and why, have a point of view that is supported by relevant research and keen observations.

3. Visioning Exercise: It is energizing to press the pause button regularly to remind yourself where you’d like to be in 3, 5, or 10 years. It’s also an opportunity to review your recent activities and reflect on how what you have accomplished will help achieve the milestones you’ve set for yourself.

Just twenty minutes a week on one of these three areas will yield an immeasurable return on the investment of this time.

I will invest twenty minutes a week to build and sustain the career (business) I want.

Comments

Your Network Can Send You a Life Line!

The phrase for the week is "Invest in Your Network” Thought I'd keep the investment theme going another week. On this day when taxes are due, I'd like to remind you that investments in your network are also due! Too often I speak with young and senior professionals who invest little or no time in building and expanding their network. It is usually during a personal or professional crisis when the alarm sounds and they realize they have no network. They are all alone. When you have built a thriving network, you’ll know. You are privy to information that hasn’t gone public yet or perhaps, never will. You are smarter than your peers because you have a body of knowledge and expertise that you can tap into with a quick phone call or email. You are the go-to person for counsel and information. People want you on the team. How do you build or expand your network? Begin with securing a mentor (see March 11, 2019 blog post). It doesn’t...

Check Yourself, Check Your Values!

The word for the week is "Values” We all strive to work in today’s dynamic times without compromising our values. When the way we want to live your lives is aligned with our actions, we are happy. When they are in conflict, unhappiness sets in and conflict ensues. This conflict destroys your ability to be creative, to innovate and grow personally and professionally. This week complete this awareness exercise to discover the behaviors that tell the world what you feel is important, what guides your life, your values. List your top five values. Next to each value, state your behaviors that are evidence to you and the world that these are your values. For example: My number one value is family. Everyone will know this because I rarely work evenings and weekends so I can spend time with my family. When you have completed the five values and evidence, put this in a safe place. Next, identify five people to help you with this awarene...

Is Sleep Overrated?

The phrase for the week is "Get Enough Sleep” We all have read, heard or felt the benefits of getting a good night’s rest: · Better Health · Better Sex Life · Better Memory · Less Pain · Better Weight Control · Better Mood · Clearer Thinking I’ve been functioning on 4 to 5 hours sleep for years, and I can point to a host of friends and colleagues who have done the same. As I get older, I can see and feel this bad habit must change. The first thing I did was get into regular sleeping habits. I really try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Even if I don’t go to sleep or wake early, I don’...

Your Leadership Coach

Search This Blog