Tag: professional development

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It’s March Fourth and Do Something Day

Today is March Fourth and Do Something Day (I said there are celebrations for everything) and, since we’re in this first week of March, what are your plans for what you want the next 31 days to look like? Now is the time to make new plans, new goals, new thresholds for what you want in your business. I like the premise of doing something you’ve not done before – challenging yourself- with the idea of marching forward. They both go together wonderfully:

  1. What is on your ‘to do’ or bucket list? What did you say you would do in those resolutions a couple months back? What are you feeling you need more of are ready to do? Answering these questions will help you to make a decision on a specific action you want to accomplish by March 31
  2. Start with choosing one of those (not to overwhelm) and write it out very specifically, i.e. I will be in my new job as an IT software developer by March 31. What this does is create a visual on the goal, which the brain will latch on to and want to achieve it, as well as giving it a deadline. The more specific we are, the more compelling it becomes and then we will seek out the ways to get it.
  3. Write out every possible action you would need to take to get that goal accomplished; this is not about limiting but about every possibility out there – this is where you may need to ‘leap’ and stretch in what those may be. Work backwards from March 31 (you with a successful team or business), thinking of what it took to get there; this will really expand the creative side of the brain to come up with ideas you might not think of in a conscious state (left side).
  4. Armed now with a goal and specific steps to take, make the leap; decide what time you will make it to hold yourself accountable and get mentally prepared. Then, begin. It may feel a bit scary at first but the more you, the easier it will become and the faster results you will see.

The key to any of these is taking action and doing something that, while it may feel uncomfortable, will move you achieving your business goals.   Ensuring you have a good mindset is the driver for all behavior and goal-achievement, so take time each morning to create a positive mindset – say gratitude, have goals, use positive self-talk, breathe to energize your brain, and affirm your intentions. Practicing this daily will create a new habit that will lead to your success.

If you’re ‘stuck’ and want to stop the struggle, then contact us to day to change this around.

 

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Professional Development Starts with Personal Development

Professional development is critical to ensuring that your skills and aptitudes are at their highest. Just like an athlete has to condition themselves for playing on the field or running a marathon, workers need to do the same.
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Professional development involves taking the skills you use most often and focusing on them, so that they are at their highest; it also involves learning new skills or knowledge that will enhance what you currently know. This is what leads to being a high performer – never thinking you know everything or being satisfied; it’s recognizing that there is always something to be learned and then putting the new-found information into practice.
Professional development, however, begins with personal development. This is where you work on yourself, i.e. the ‘inner workings,’ if you will. Understanding yourself is the key to success. It’s the ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s’ of why you do what you do. Areas to work on include:

  • perceptions and expectations
  • attitude
  • communication skills
  • conflict management (including resolution)
  • drives and motivations
  • values
  • habits
  • beliefs

All of these drive your behaviors, especially looking at your perceptions and expectations, which then lead to beliefs, which, ultimately, drive your behaviors and the other items on the list above. It’s also about managing them, ala being emotionally intelligent. Working on these areas will help you to be more effective in all you do, no matter what environment or situation you find yourself in. You will have more effective relationships, as you will be more open to others, have more empathy, listening more and then regulating your responses to what you hear and see.
How do you develop personally? It’s no different than steps you would take in your professional life:

  • read books on mindset, self-esteem, communication, etc.
  • listen to TED Talks, podcasts, or audio books
  • attend networking meetings or join groups on a specific area
  • go to a seminar or workshop
  • journal daily to uncover your thoughts/feelings and set daily goals
  • read motivational quotes that lift you up
  • work with a coach, who can help you to uncover negative patterns and help you develop new, more positive skills

Enhancing your personal development will lead you to being at your best; this, then, leads to you being your best in your professional life. After all, you are the same person in both arenas. Bringing out your best will lead to more success and a more fulfilled life overall.
If you’re ready to be your best, let’s talk!
Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com. For more great tips, visit our other blog at https://allaboutcareersites.com

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Rebuilding Trust (in yourself) After a Job Loss

Losing your job can be devastating to one’s psyche and esteem.  Thinking about the next career path can be confusing and bring up a host of fears and insecurities and lead to job search procrastination.  “Who will hire me?” or “What job am I fit for?” are questions I often hear when I coach clients.  It seems that the loss of a job leads to the loss of one’s identity which can deflate – or almost paralyze -the job search strategies that need to be done to get hired again.

In order to get “back in the game”, it is important to rebuild trust in yourself and in your abilities so you can get hired again.  According to Bridges (2003) and Nakaska (2010), it is important for a person to rebuild their own trust in their abilities and in developing their own career plans “as they themselves, rather than any single job, will be the one constant in their careers.”   It is important to keep in your mindset all of your skills and abilities that you have to offer to potential employees; this means having them written down and placed where you can see them on a daily basis.  Keeping your professional development in mind will be the key to your weathering these changes and resulting stress that change brings.  Paying more attention to what is occurring in your industry and in the world of work will help you bring more knowledge and skills to an employer and can position you as a top candidate for hire.  Taking charge of your career will help to increase and enhance your skills and knowledge, give you a clearer direction for where you want your career to go and enable you to make better choices.  These activities will also help to rebuild your internal trust so you feel more confident and less fearful to seek out the positions you desire.  Not only will you rebuild trust in yourself but you will be managing your career as opposed to allowing an employer to do so.

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