When I coach professionals for career development and transitions, the most common feedback I get is that they are ‘stuck’ in their careers and are not making any progress. Either they want a better suited job role or a supportive boss or a higher salary or a better work life balance and some merely want a job because they need to make a living. Out of every 10 professionals I coach, 10 of them have challenges which they don’t seem to be able to handle. You know why? Because they do not know how to take the first step – which is of shifting their mindset. And that is where the problem lies.
And how do I know all this?
Because now for 37 years of my career I have used this approach successfully to transit my career from successfully rising up the corporate ladder in sales leadership positions in the top management with reputed pharma and media companies to being an entrepreneur and launching my successful agency Aspiration in 2002 and recruiting 10,000+ candidates for the most blue chip clients and since 2017 evolving into being a Career Coach and helping 1000’s in their career progress.
So what is that secret to handle any challenge in your career? Here it is:
TO TRAIN YOUR MIND TO LOOK AT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT BENEFIT IN EVERY ADVERSITY FACED IN YOUR CAREER.
By training your mind daily to shift the focus to first look at the benefits in spite of the challenging situation, you get into a positive mindset which gives you the power to think of solutions and handle the problem successfully. You can call this process as resetting your mindset.
The mindset shift may seem daunting and next to impossible to many of you however stay with me till the end of this article and I guarantee that you will walk away stronger and happier.
Toxic Boss:
Let’s assume you are working for a boss who has a toxic behaviour. What is the equivalent benefit in this situation?
You got to train your mind to look at the same situation differently. There is a beautiful quote- “Change the meaning, change your life”.
So let us look at the situation as:
- An opportunity to develop our resilience and our character – which will help you handle your job role related challenges better.
- Developing empathy because a boss with a toxic behaviour reflects his/her own insecurities and it is no reflection on you – As you will grow in your responsibilities, you will be able to handle your team members more empathetically which is a great leadership trait.
- Is there any good quality of the boss from which you can learn? Maybe he/she is good at maintaining great relationships with clients.
To strengthen your resolve further you need to shift your focus on the other good aspects of your job and life. Can be things like:
- The overall work culture of the company may be good
- Your office may be conveniently located
- Your salary might be good
- You have a supportive family
Remember the objective of this approach to help you retain a positive frame of mind with which you can think creatively of solutions. Otherwise once you get into a negative frame of mind, you will not be able to think of solutions to handle a boss with a toxic behaviour. And we know that every problem has a solution; it only requires a calm mind to find one. Then how to handle the toxic behaviour will become easier for you.
Did you get it?
Trust you got a hang of the SECRET to solve any career challenge.
Ok. Anything out of the box is bound to be initially met with resistance by the mind. So I would urge you to take this 15 day challenge.
Challenge:
For the next 15 days whenever you are faced with any kind of a career challenge, you have to ask yourself this one question – What else can this mean?
And then start focusing on the other good aspects within the situation or look at the equivalent benefits while you are facing the situation. And using your will power, keep your mind absolutely away from getting into a negative mindset.
And in case you start thinking negatively and continue to remain in that frame of mind for over 1 minute, then you have to restart the challenge from Day 1 and complete the 15 days. This will act as a leverage for you to keep at it.
It is difficult to achieve, I completely understand. However like any new habit this habit of shifting your mindset can certainly be developed and the benefits far outweigh the pain required to achieve the state. And you will see such a positive impact on your career that you will not want to give it up.
So can I have your word for it that you will give it your bestest try? Let’s go for it friends and prove it to your own self that you deserve a career of which you are the CEO.
P.S: To know about our 1:1 Career Coaching programs, please click links below:
Career Development Coaching
Leadership Development Coaching
Personal Branding
Job Search Coaching
Interview Coaching
Navigating The First 90 Days In A New Company
Best of luck!
Sarabjeet Sachar
Seasoned Career Development & Leadership Coach
Founder & CEO, Aspiration – Let’s chat for 1:1 Career Coaching here : 1:1 Career Coaching