Worried You’re in a Dead-End Career?

Every sector is vulnerable to disruption or obsoletion. The good news is that industry-level shifts don’t happen overnight. If you anticipate that your career is on a sinking ship, here’s how you can chart a new course. 

Look for a new job. Of course, you can look for a new job. If you’re updating your resume, don’t just focus on your achievements. You should also identify all of your transferable skills. Can you bring people together to work toward a common goal? Are you good at taking abstract problem statements and turning them into an actionable game plan? Make sure your resume includes your capabilities, as well as your successes. 

Another approach is to adopt a different mindset and think about how your company could evolve. What are its biggest vulnerabilities? If you were a competitor, what would you do to steal market share? Can you capitalize on — or better yet, invent — the next trends in your industry before they capsize your company? Most industries will undergo a radical change at some point. 

Instead of lamenting what’s coming, face those changes head-on. Your career depends on it.

Build Relationships…

We human beings cannot avoid good turns or bad turns, we cannot avoid good fortune or bad fortune.

But in each of these if we can build relationships and cherish them it will lead to a much bigger impact in our life. 

So keep building relationships and you can live a golden life. 

Sometimes it doesn’t matter…

It doesn’t matter which car you drive, as long as it takes you from point A to B.

It doesn’t matter which house you live in, as long as you build a home in it.

It doesn’t matter where you work, as long as you enjoy working.

It doesn’t matter in life, as long as you are happy.

So don’t fret about anything and be happy!

Are You Taking Effective Breaks from Work?

Taking breaks throughout the workday can boost both your well-being and performance, but far too few of us take them regularly—or use them effectively. Research suggests you consider the following factors to get the most out of your pause from work.

Length. A longer break isn’t always better. Disengaging from work for a few minutes but on a regular basis (micro-breaks) can be sufficient for preventing exhaustion and boosting performance.

Location. Changing locations will help you recharge. If you can get outside, even for a short walk, all the better.

Activity. Browsing social media is a popular, but not necessarily effective way to take a short break. Instead, choose to do something that enriches you, brings you joy, and gives you energy.

Pets! Research shows that interacting with a dog can lower levels of cortisol hormone, an objective indicator of stress. So if it’s possible to spend some time with a furry companion during the workday, give it a try.

Music. Music can be a really good breaker from work. It nourishes you and you feel really good after a good music break.

Movie or TV. Movie or TV watching can also be a good break, provided you use it effectively and within the time limit.

Made a Big Mistake at Work? Own Up and Move On.

Here’s the thing about mistakes: Everyone makes them. But making a big mistake at work doesn’t have to be a career killer. As awful as it might feel in the moment, you can take steps to regain trust, minimize damage, and mend the situation. It’s important to be proactive. As soon as you become aware of the gaffe, try to get in front of the situation before it spirals. Address whatever took place so people know you’re aware of the problem, and they don’t feel the pressure to bring it to your attention.

Reach out to anyone impacted by your actions, hear them out (or ask for their feedback), and share a plan for improvement moving forward. Offer an apology, if warranted. Make it genuine. Don’t be defensive or make it about you. Instead, acknowledge your error and the harm you caused to the other person, team, or business. And don’t forget to show yourself compassion. Setbacks at work can be embarrassing, but being excessively self-critical isn’t helpful.

Berating yourself for something in the past won’t make the mistake go away. So own up, and move on.

Start Your Day with This Simple Practice

On a daily basis, it is hard to muster the positive outlook that fuels motivation and creativity. When we lose that positivity, burnout, and fatigue can quickly follow. How can we inject some optimism into our day? This two-minute exercise can help.

Each morning, finish the following three sentences (either on paper, out loud, or even in your head) before you turn on your computer or start your commute:

Today, I will focus on _____.

Today, I am grateful for _____.

Today, I will let go of _____.

Let’s make sure to be specific with the answers; writing that you’re grateful for your mom every day won’t help. Ultimately, we’re only awake for an average of 1,000 minutes each day. If we can invest just two of them to prime our brains for positivity, then we’ll be helping ensure the quality of the other 998 minutes.

Optimizing Short term doesn’t help Long term…

Short-term optimization doesn’t necessarily help in the Long term.

Here are the short-term and long-term versions:

#Good Salary level (Short term) doesn’t mean you can Build Wealth (Long term), it requires much more than that, the habit of saving, investments, and luck…

#Going to the gym today (Short term) doesn’t mean good health and longevity, it requires discipline and habit to build good health.

#Performing well in your job today (Short term) doesn’t mean a good career plan, as the job may become obsolete if you are not learning for the future i.e. for the long term. 

Because of our short-sightedness to perform better in the short term, we miss the future and longer-term thoughts. 

So don’t miss to think about the long term, give at least 10% of your time to long-term thoughts, dreams, and plans.