Do you find yourself thinking, “how did I get here and how can I move up in my career?” You are not alone! You know you need a change. But those annoying, negative thoughts and doubts begin to flood in as soon as you think about making a move. You have big goals you want to achieve, but roadblocks (like the negative thoughts) are keeping your dreams at bay.
We subconsciously create roadblocks that stop us from achieving our goals and dreams. Once you adopt a new mindset and alter these behaviors, your dreams can finally come true! Here are my top 5 behaviors stopping you from achieving your dreams.
#1 Negative Thinking
This is the worst — I know! We can have a million positive thoughts, and all it takes is that one negative voice to sink us into our seats. What’s even worse, is that the negative thoughts like to make friends with MORE negative thoughts! (It’s like they are addicted to one another). One easy way to overcome negative thinking is with positive affirmations. Make yourself a list of a few positive things that you can say to yourself everyday to start changing the negative thoughts. Positive affirmations do wonders for your mood, well-being, and daily morale.
#2 Lacking Direction
A BIG problem stopping you from moving up in life is ‘lacking a sense of direction’ towards your goals. You don’t need to know EVERYTHING from now until you’ve reached your goal, but not even knowing where to begin is halting you in your tracks. If this sounds like you, take the time to map out your goals so you can see at least the first few steps in front of you (it’s okay if you can’t see the whole staircase yet!). Ask yourself, “HOW can I move up in my career?” And make sure you keep focused on your end goal when the daily grind gets rough – this will help keep your motivation and consistency.
#3 Be Realistic
It’s easy to get caught up in our emotions and desires without being realistic about what we CAN do. I am not saying to ‘downsize’ your goals. Never! Instead, think critically about what YOU can do right now, and how long it will take to cross that finish line. Take into consideration life demands: if you have children, a family, a full-time job, or finances are tight. All of these areas must be considered when moving towards your goals to create balance.
#4 Doubting Yourself
Never doubt yourself! The moment doubt takes over, everything else won’t matter. If you let fear take over, all the planning in the world won’t matter. This links back to negative thought patterns, but I separate this one into its own category because it carries so much weight. Doubt has a ripple effect; it can change from a simple thought into a self-deprecating behavioral pattern. I recommend becoming aware of it now, and practicing self-love and compassion as you work through your own doubts and fears.
#5 Being Impatient
What is the saying? “Patience is a virtue,” A saying that still rings true and is often the most difficult to practice. Even though you may have a clear path, realistic goals, self-confidence, and positive thoughts — impatience is still the largest roadblock you will face. The reason being, success doesn’t happen overnight. And the ultimate test is knowing when to surrender to the path you have chosen, work for what you want, and trust that it will all work out in the end. Surrender to the process and LET GO of trying to control everything. And most importantly, have patience.
How to Move Up in My Career?
No more surviving in life; it is time to thrive! Get to where you would like to go and shift your mindset to better serve you. If you said, “YES, I want to move up in my career,” now is your moment to elevate yourself and chase the career you desire! It starts with a positive mindset, and the will to change. Break free from the overbearing stop lights (roadblocks) and let’s talk today!