With the arrival of spring our thoughts turn to taking off the snow tires, watching for the first crocuses and of course, spring cleaning. Spring is a time to sort out, clear out, and create space for the new. How many of us, however, think of spring as a time to sort, assess, and clear out that which is not working for us in our careers?
Let’s take a look at how busy professionals can review and renew one of the most important aspects of their lives. Here are four probing questions to help you get started with your career spring cleaning:
Question 1: “What am I tolerating from myself and from others?” Ask yourself what you have been tolerating that does not serve you well or detracts from your sense of well-being. Are you in a working environment where people are treated respectfully? Where ethical behavior is an understood way of being and not just words on the wall? What have you been tolerating from your boss or co-workers that you may need to address?
Here is the tougher part: What have you been tolerating from yourself? Have you allowed yourself to produce just enough work to get by? Have you been putting up with aspects of yourself that can sabotage your career such as perfectionism, defensiveness or procrastination? Maybe you haven’t taken enough risks to succeed the way you really want to. Is holding back because of fear a toleration that you are now willing to face?
Question 2: “What natural gifts, talents or passions have I been under-utilizing or ignoring?” It is easy to get caught up in the day to day requirements of earning a living, which can easily evolve into months and years. Suddenly you see yourself very far from your earlier aspirations, in a situation that does not bring you joy or even satisfaction. At this point of awareness you have two options. You can ignore those thoughts and continue as you have been, or use this as a springboard to make some different choices toward a more satisfying direction, even within your current job or career.
Question 3: “What personal values have I lost touch with?” It is not uncommon to be swept into the competitive nature of business and lose some of yourself in the process. Sometimes doing “whatever it takes” to please the boss or get to the next level comes at a cost of compromising some of the things that you genuinely value. In the pursuit of reward and recognition you may have self-justified your way up, but at some point find yourself realizing, “Who I am at work is not the real me,” or, “Is that all there is?”
Question 4: “What small steps can I make today to get out of my rut?” Sometimes a new awareness can be frightening, or even paralyzing. We are also in a culture that expects big leaps of change and instant results. Be patient with yourself, and choose one aspect that you can work on immediately and feel success with. Once you have realized success with your first step, you can move on to the next. While it may take time to get where you want to be, remember that forward movement – even in small steps – is the most important aspect.
