7 Questions to ask yourself, if your career isn’t going like you...

7 Questions to ask yourself, if your career isn’t going like you had planned!

What do you do when your career doesn't turn out like you hoped? Just sit back and relax! We've got you some useful tips.

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Successful careers are not planned.They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values.” – Peter Drucker

You worked very hard and got the job that you dreamt of since you were in high school. You thought that life would be very fulfilling once you get it. A few months in and going to work is the most dreadful feeling ever. Now what? What to do when things don’t turn out as you had hoped, expected or planned? Quit everything and leave?

Let’s dig a little more, and transform your disappointment into a calculated action. What can be the cause of disappointment in your career? Go through the questions below and find out the root cause of your dissatisfaction.

    • Are you under-utilized? –  When your job isn’t making full use of potential, and you constantly feel like your learning curve is exhausted, your mind will always be unsettled and eventually you’d find yourself not interested in going to work, because the nature of work doesn’t excite you. It’s extremely important to like something, if not everything about your job, and if you can’t put your finger on anything in the ‘pros’ department, it’s probably time to speak to your superior about your role, and expectations.
    • Is this the industry you want to be in the next 5 years? – India has a dearth of engineers, who are engineers because of parental, peer, and societal pressure. If you are pursuing something for money, or stability, or job security, right from the start, it’s very much possible that your every-day routine 9-5 will bore you at some point. Not everyone finds their calling in their early twenties, and if you are one of those people who feel kind of direction-less regarding where you want your career to go, it’s time to sit long and hard about what industry would be better for you, depending on your personality traits and skill set.
    • Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? Before deciding upon any further goals, always take time out to think about what you are good at, and what are your pain points. Set your targets professionally, and personally, in such a way that they are aligned more with your strengths, so that you can focus more on the positive.
    • Are you overworking?- Examine whether you have just pushed yourself way too much and hence everything has failed. Experiencing a ‘burn out’ if you have been too stressed, or handling more than what is appropriate, is normal. Consider taking a break. Strive for a better work-life balance. Give yourself some time to unwind, go out, give time to your family and friends, take a vacation, take a holiday.
    • Are you a procrastinator? – Laziness,and delaying tasks that require your immediate attention, is something that might be holding you back from not only achieving your goal, but from aiming any further from where you are right now. ‘Better late than never’ is fine, but know where to draw the line. Bringing your 100 percent to the table is extremely important.
    • Peer pressure- Just because your peers are ahead of you, or seem ahead of you, doesn’t mean you are set up for failure. There will always be some people who would be better than you. Learn from them and know where your strengths lie.
    • Are you not getting paid enough? – It’s perfectly fine to want a financial value, to be associated with your performance.  Take this as an opportunity to ask for appraisal, hike or increase in income with respect to the outstanding work you are doing.

Few other pointers:
1.Write down your plan: Write down your commitments. You  tend to abide more with what you have written down as written commitments require more effort to make than verbal ones.

2.Goals: Set your goals right. Set clearly defined goals that are realistic and achievable. Break tasks into steps. And focus on one step at a time.

3.Keep a to-do list: These mini action plans will help you achieve your goals more effectively. Write and update them everyday.

4. Avoid Procrastination: Do not give give a lot of time to planing. Just don’t plan, take that extra effort and DO IT!

5. Prioritize: It is very important to prioritize your work. Do the ones that is urgent. Do not prioritize work on the levels of difficulty but on the levels of urgency

6. Commitment and Perseverance: Be committed to your job/ work/project. Do not deviate. Long term and persistent commitment is required if you want to taste success. Persevere till the end. Have a contingency plan if things don’t work out; consider several paths and be flexible.

7. Review your progress: Keep reviewing your work every now and then. Are your expectations logical? Have you taken the right direction to achieve it? Revise it thoroughly.

There is always a way out. The ability to overcome disappointment and unlocking the path that leads to your goal is an art. Try and master it. And, as they say its never as you plan but handling the deviation defines you.

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