9 Secrets to Career Success

 Are you miserable at your job (or what you are doing) but go anyway to earn a living? Do you feel you are unable to use your talents and are doing things that are stressful? Do you find yourself in a career rut? Wouldn’t you rather be in your ideal income position and “Go to Play” everyday? Most people spend approximately 35% to over 67% of their waking hours working. Being unhappy for so much of the day makes it difficult to enjoy the rest of your waking hours. Think how your life will turn around when you are actually enjoying your "work." In your ideal career you will be doing what you love and be so good at it that you will produce considerable value which will attract more rewards (including money) than you need.

Does this sound impossible? Well it isn’t. Here are 9 secrets to get the career you will really enjoy.

Secret #1 Focus on you first, before looking at a career
Most people have followed the same trial and error path to work. They take a job that appears to be the best “opportunity” and try it out. They adjust to what their bosses and the company want in hopes of advancement. They eventually discover that they are stuck in a job or career that they really don't like. Then they decide to try another job “opportunity” and the error cycle continues. To get out of this job rut and get your ideal career you will want to look at your wants and needs first, to discover what your ideal career looks like, before you select your next position.

Secret #2 Discover your true passions
All of us have things we are passionate about doing, but have suppressed them because of a number of reasons. Even though you do not consciously know your passions exist, your subconscious “gut” does. You are probably fulfilling a hidden passion when you do something that gives you a very good “gut” feeling. Conversely, when your “gut” tightens up and creates stress, it is probably because you are doing something at work you are passionate about NOT doing. Once you consciously discover what you are passionate about doing and not doing, you will be able to create a position that allows you to fulfill both. When you follow your passions, you eliminate your conflicts, you have more energy, you have more fun, and you become much better at what you do.

Secret #3 Discover your true desires and priorities
Most of us do not take the time in life to discover our true desires and priorities. We seem to just go with the flow and hope that we are heading in the right direction. We tend to suppress our true desires and priorities for the sake of others. Yet, the one big reason we feel so frustrated in working at a job is because the work conflicts with our true desires and priorities. These conscious conflicts create guilt, doubt, and eventual stress. Yes, you can balance your personal, work and family priorities, but only after you dig to discover what they truly are. You can organize your occupation around your own personal priorities, which will allow you to perform much better at work and reap the additional rewards you deserve. For example, look at how many home-based businesses have popped up to allow people to fulfill both family and work priorities without undue conflicts.

Secret #4 Discover your true values
Everyone has his or her own value system. Unfortunately, people rarely look into them and more often than not accept the values imposed by the companies they work for. Just look at the damage caused to the many employees of Enron, World Com, Global Crossing and others whose beliefs did not agree with the misguided values of the CEO's and higher executives. Were all of the employees misguided? Certainly not. Most had very honest values but they were penalized anyway.

Secret #5 Discover your true talents
All of us are blessed with certain talents, yet we rarely stop to really figure out what they are. You will enjoy working, be much more productive, and generate more quality results when you maximize the use of your talents at work. Your increased productivity and higher quality results will attract greater rewards for you. Matching your natural talents to your income position will create greater enjoyment and attract increased rewards at the same time.

Secret #6 Create or develop your ideal position to fit you
People rarely perform this step because they fall into the rut of chasing job “opportunities” and the disastrous trial and error method of choosing their work. Why, because they are led to believe that creating an income position to suit themselves is not possible, even while they are frequently told to do what they want. Remember, it is your work selection process that is flawed, not you. Once you know your passions, desires, values and talents, you will be able to develop and find a number of careers that will allow you to fulfill all of them at the same time. Now you will be creating the position to suit you, instead of taking a position and adjusting to it. Believe it or not, the more you know about yourself, the easier it will be to create and find your ideal position.

Secret #7 Go get your ideal position
Now you are ready to get your ideal position. If your ideal position is an already established job, you will be amazed at how easily and quickly you will be able to get it. Your enthusiasm, your confidence, your talents to perform, and especially your capacity to produce many quality results will attract any worthwhile employer. They will know you really want to perform, instead of just applying for a job. If your position is not a job, but one where you are either a business owner or an independent contractor, you will easily and quickly begin the process of building the position to suit your personal criteria.

Secret #8 Get Help from the right person
People are led to believe that they can easily look within themselves and discover what is there on their own. Self-help books and assessment tests claim that reading the book or taking the tests will reveal all you need to get your ideal career. Yet, both methods fall very short of actually getting to the truth. Discovering what you really want, what your true talents or values are is not a self-help process.

We humans cannot see our face without using a mirror or a photographic image. Just as you must look into a mirror to see what you really look like, you must have another person act as your objective mirror to see what you really want to do and be in life. Seek out and get someone to be your objective mirror to discover the truths about yourself, to find or create your ideal position.

Secret #9 Once you obtain your ideal position, stay there until it suits you to leave
Many people actually obtain a position that they really love and it fulfills their wants and needs. Then along comes the promotion to elevate these very productive and happy workers, because they are so happy and productive. They are expected to perform even better and with more enthusiasm because the new job pays more and has a higher status. But it doesn’t work out that way. The new, higher position is very different from the one they loved so much, and performing it is much more difficult which creates conflicts and stress, especially with the additional pressure to do more. Once you arrive at your ideal position, have the courage to remain in that position until your wants and needs change to drive you to get the new position to suit your new criteria. The acceptance of promotions to suit others has ruined far too many happy work relationships. Take control of your work and accept promotions only if they increase your ability to fulfill your personal wants and needs.

About the Author

Provided as an educational service by Bill Dueease of The Coach Connection, where “connecting great people with great coaches” is their goal. You may receive a free copy of the article “9 Secrets to Hiring the Personal Coach Who’s Right For You” by contacting The Coach Connection at 800-887-7214 or 239-415-1777 or coaches@findyourcoach.com, or at www.findyourcoach.com/0o-career-coach.htm

 Bill Dueease

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