Pursuing Career Success on Your Own Terms
By Guest Author Lisa McGrimmon
Take some time to think through your motivations for pursuing career success. Are you following your own vision for career success, or are you pursuing someone else's idea of success?
If your career goals are more tied to the expectations of others and less connected to your own values, you could be setting yourself up for self sabotage. It can be hard to muster up the motivation and self discipline it takes to achieve career success when your goals are not your own and, therefore, not really all that compelling to you.
Money, power, status...
If you believe many of our cultural influences, we are supposed to covet them all above everything else. Money, power and status are the default definitions of career success. We often accept these kinds of messages without question because everywhere, in everyday life, we get so many messages about what constitutes success.
True, money, power and status can be great motivating factors for some people, but they are not the universal fountain of self-actualization that our culture makes them out to be.
Pursuing Career Success on Your Own Terms
Success takes a lot of forms, but if you ask many people what it means to succeed on their own terms, they would struggle to find an answer. We aim to achieve something called "career success" without first defining it for ourselves.
It takes some serious thought to determine what it means to succeed on your own terms.
So why should you care and take the time to understand how you personally define success?
If you do not have a clear understanding of what success means to you, you'll likely struggle to set goals that are consistently compelling and motivating to you.
Many people wonder why they procrastinate. They think motivation comes from some magical unknown place. But unless goals are really compelling and your own, it can be hard to find the motivation to put in the serious time and effort needed to achieve them.
The biggest source of career burnout is a conflict between your core values and your work. Knowing your values can help you to make decisions that keep you motivated and working towards your own vision of career success. Making career decisions that are in line with your values is a big step toward ensure a long and happy career.
Here are a few thoughts and questions to consider that can help you clarify your own motivations related to pursuing career success:
When I achieve career success I will feel... (fill in the blank; it will help you see what you are pursuing)
When my career is successful I will have...
When my career is successful I will be...
I chose my career because...
My core values or goals that I will not compromise are...
How are those values different from others around me?
Is my career (or a particular career decision) in line with my core values? Why or why not? If not, can I change some aspect to make it a better fit for my values?
What personal expectations led me to choose my career (or led me to make a specific career decision)? Do those expectations make sense today?
What social and family expectations led me to choose my career (or to make a specific career decision)? Do those expectations make sense to me now?
How will my career goals mesh with my personal or family goals?
Some people are motivated by traditional achievement, others by expressing creativity. For some, financial benefits are of primary importance, while others place a high value on personal and moral responsibility and ethics. Intellectual stimulation, independence and variety in day to day tasks are other aspects of work that some people value more or less than others.
Career success will take different forms for each individual, and it can take different forms at different stages in your life. If you haven't clearly defined your own values and connected them to your career decisions, it can be easy to unintentionally make a career decision that goes against your values or to get caught up in pursuing career success that in not truly your own.
It's Your Career - Create the Success You Want
It's your career, and if you arm yourself with good career management tools and information, you get to develop it in the way that works best for you. The surest track to achieving the feeling that your career is successful is to pursue what works for you and the most important people in your life. Know and maintain your core values in all of your career decisions, and the feeling of having career success will come.
Lisa McGrimmon is a career counselor, author and entrepreneur who has helped over two thousand clients achieve their career goals. If you'd like to learn exactly how to manage your career and gain enormous control over your future, visit http://www.careerchoiceguide.com - For more ways to achieve work life balance go to http://www.careerchoiceguide.com/work-values.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_McGrimmon
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