Be Bold and Brave
Posted by
Some people are disappointed with their career because they’re afraid to take the bold step. Don’t let that be you – don’t get to the end of your career and be filled with regrets settling for mediocrity, stuck in a job that you’re not happy doing.
Don’t get me wrong – there are pressures and circumstances that can dictate our options. Sometimes it’s an honourable choice to put your career on hold in order to support others – though you should never spend your productive hours hating what you do. What’s important is that you dare to dream. There is liberty, authenticity and happiness in being bold and pursing your career dreams – but how can you do it effectively?
Take the time to understand and acknowledge your dreams. You’ll be amazed at how many opportunities arise once you let people know what you’re looking for.
Don’t get me wrong – there are pressures and circumstances that can dictate our options. Sometimes it’s an honourable choice to put your career on hold in order to support others – though you should never spend your productive hours hating what you do. What’s important is that you dare to dream. There is liberty, authenticity and happiness in being bold and pursing your career dreams – but how can you do it effectively?
- Accept the dream in your heart
Do you know what your career dream is? Have you taken the time to work that out? Don’t think about all of the reasons “why not” and why you “can’t” – it costs nothing to have a dream – so at least allow yourself to get that far. Once you have it, you never know, you might be inspired to begin to pursue it! - Highlight your strengths
Sometimes people have difficulty in visualising their dream. If you’re that person, take a step back and instead focus on using your strengths! You’ll be happy in your career if you use your strengths every day. Build your dream based on your strengths and what you enjoy doing – it doesn’t have to be tied to a particular job. Once you know your unique career skills you can educate others about them through telling stories and by having hard measures illustrating your success. When other people know what you love doing and are good at, and the results you are achieving, they will be able to help you. If they know you are looking around, they will – even subconsciously – seek out new opportunities for you. So – how many of your network you have spoken to about the kind of work you’d love to be doing? - Stop putting it off
Are there things you’ve been procrastinating and avoiding? What career decisions do you know you need to make, but which you haven’t so far? Maybe it’s the choice between two roles, or maybe you need to change departments or make a sideways move, but whatever the decision – what’s stopping you, and is it time to be brave? - Be bold!
Over the years, I have met many people who say they’re stuck and can’t advance their career. Maybe it’s that their boss is going nowhere, the organisation structure is flat, they can’t see any opportunities in their department, they can’t find another job in their local area. But the reality is that there is always a choice, even if it is costly or unpalatable. To move forward you might have to change department, change your boss, take a sideways or downwards move, retrain into new skills, or even move house – but there is always a way. If you’re feeling stuck, what will it take to get you unstuck?
Take the time to understand and acknowledge your dreams. You’ll be amazed at how many opportunities arise once you let people know what you’re looking for.