It is really difficult to find a reason to change your job, attitude or career trajectory when things are going well. Success often allows us to avoid our vulnerabilities which can breed complacency, and give us a false sense of security, while failure can be a very powerful coach. We also tend to want to enjoy the good times when they are good, and not think about how we’ll manage when things aren’t so good. However, the best time to prepare for the worst is when things do seem to be on the right track. So how can you prepare yourself and your career for when the going gets tough?
What do you need to work on?
This is not a fun question for anyone to ask themselves, let alone answer. Why? If you’re honest with yourself, you’re making a venerable list of all the things you’re not great at. Instead of letting this activity drag you down, re-frame your perspective. Look at the items on your list as opportunities to invest in yourself, and your career. See, that’s better. It now sounds like this could actually be fun! Here are “12 Easy Ways to Invest in Your Career” from intuit.com that can get your list started, just in case you’re uninspired or just plain stumped. At the very least, you’ll give yourself the opportunity to learn something new and take a step toward truly being a lifelong learner.
What would your boss, current colleagues and former colleagues say about you?
This also might not sound like fun self-reflection. But it’s easier than you think. Your current boss and colleagues likely tell you what they think about you every day, you’re probably just not focusing on it. They’re giving you feedback constantly through gestures like how quickly they return your calls or emails, and if they take the opportunity to praise you in a public setting for something you recently accomplished. And if you’re lucky enough to have a positive performance review and/or peer review recently, that should act as a guiding beacon for how well you’re doing your job.
In terms of former colleagues and supervisors, it might feel a little more tricky to get honest feedback from them. However, a quick “check-in” email to a few of them that includes a request for he or she to write you a recommendation on LinkedIn, or endorse you for a particular skill might give you all the data you need about how they felt about working with you. At the very least, you’ll get some new, LinkedIn profile enhancements. Here’s a template to help you ask current and former colleagues for that LinkedIn recommendation.
What is your idea of success?
Is there a certain title or income level that will make you feel like you’re successful? Is your idea of success tied to a certain level of education you’ve achieved or who the people are that you consider to be in your inner circle? If the answer to what you need to feel successful doesn’t come easily to you, you will want to spend some time to determine what you’re working toward. This should point you in the direction of what you need to do to invest in yourself to get to your end goal. It may also inspire you to make changes in your career and daily habits that align with your idea of success.
Preparing for dips and valleys along your career path may not sound fun. However, accepting whatever life delivers to your doorstep no matter how scary or challenging you think it will be, actually reduces fear and anxiety. Part of being ready to accept everything life can throw at you is feeling confident about the actions you’re taking to build your defenses against the unpleasant things that might come your way. Prioritize investing in yourself to invest in your career, knowing where you can improve based on feedback from people you trust, understand your idea of success, and when uncertainty or a setback comes your way, you’ll have prepared yourself to learn from it and move past it.