Taking ownership of your career and where it is or is not is solely your responsibility. You have to wake up and understand that your career is indeed in your own hands.
Here’s the good news. Believe it or not, you do have the ability to choose your own destiny. You know why? Because you are the equivalent of your talent, skills and abilities. And guess what? No one can take that from you.
So, what do you do? You act now — don’t wait another minute, as time is of the essence.
To help you get moving in the right direction, try these three steps:
1. Do a Reality Check
Realize where you are. Own it. Grieve it, and then get over it. We all have ups and downs in our careers. The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is those who succeed simply do not wallow in the fact they are not where they want to be in their career. They immediately begin the process of getting back on track. That said, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to give you permission to have a mini pity party. Once it’s over, make a pledge to move on.
2. Check to See What’s in Your Skill Bank
Write down all your current skills and abilities. If your skill bank looks a little low, create a list of skills you need to acquire to get your career moving in the right direction. From the list, seek out ways to gain those skills. That may include taking a course or going back to school. If those are not feasible options, investigate online resources like Lynda and Udemy or search “how-to” videos on YouTube. These are great ways to gain knowledge quickly.
3. Choose One to Two Areas of Focus and Make a Plan
Once you make your plan to fill the skill gaps, commit to it. I love 90-day plans and use them for my clients all the time. I like them because you can have a checkpoint at the halfway mark, assess where you are before getting to the end, and course-correct if needed. At the 90th day, guess what? You can celebrate your accomplishments.
After you have completed the three steps above and have attained new skills, put them into practice immediately. Once you have a level of proficiency, repeat the steps as often as you need to and you will be well on your way to getting out of the career rut.
