Yes. A single thought can make or break your career. I know it seems like some crazy headline intended to capture your attention, but as a strategic coach/consultant, I see the harm a single thought breeds.
It often appears many of your “lucky-dog” peers never face anything more than fair weather and smooth sailing throughout their career. You don’t begrudge them their success, and yet you wonder.
Especially as a study reveals, 65 percent say a better boss would make them happy.[1] Along the same line, global studies show that 79 percent of people who quit their jobs cite ‘lack of appreciation as their reason for leaving.’[2]
You have to dig a bit deeper. You’ll discover something. Those “lucky dogs” seemingly understand interviewing to find a better boss or leaving the company isn’t the answer because in all likelihood they’ll be facing the same situation again.
It isn’t about waving a magic wand rather their rewarding career journey emanates from the mind not exiting the scene of the crime.
Let’s examine several points of undermining versus optimizing responses.
- Spiraling Down vs. Spiraling Up: Do you find yourself spending more of your time in Spiraling Down conversations with those around you…? You know all the stuff that’s going wrong or the inept people you deal with daily.The minute you realize your conversation is unconstructive—even if only in your brain—turn the switch in your mind from Spiraling Down deeper into negativity to Spiraling Up into possibility. You know the difference-making style of thinking. The “what can we do,” “how can we recognize the other side,” “can we make things better?” Viewing the problem with an unworkable outlook leaves you stuck in victimhood—the opposite of the empowering smooth sailing career you desire!
- “I Can’t” vs. “I Can”: The truth is all of us are magnificently wired quantum thinking, problem-solving career generating beings. It’s just a matter of whether you’re willing to own your full power. When you lock into, “I can’t” before your amazing brain has an opportunity to weigh in, you lose. You see what you say is a self-fulfilling prophecy. With an “I can’t” attitude, you reinforce barriers to your progress. Conversely, as you say “I can,” creative energy is released that bursts into career enhancing outcomes.
- Fear vs. Clarity: Allowing yourself to be mired in fear, freezes your career before it even has the chance to launch. Remind, yourself that the emotionally charged notions swirling through your head are likely nothing more than False Evidence Appearing R[3] You have a choice to either move toward clarity and resolution or remain stuck in anxiety. Altering your attention propels you thoughtfully into the action that generates a way through or around instead of living in the debilitating inertia of fear.
Whether you buy into it or not, the battle of the mind is where satisfaction and fulfillment occurs.
What side of the equation are you planning to tap into to produce the career of your choice? It’s pretty obvious. If you give in to Spiraling Down, or “I can’t” or Fear based thinking, you’re setting yourself up for a rough journey.
It is always your choice. What’s it going to be?
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/tykiisel/2012/10/16/65-of-americans-choose-a-better-boss-over-a-raise-heres-why/#75cbdf1c76d2[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidsturt/2018/03/08/10-shocking-workplace-stats-you-need-to-know/#61152c88f3af
[3] I don’t know where I first heard the acronym for FEAR so I’m unable to credit it.