Many professionals mistakenly believe that they can rely on their employers to keep them moving forward in their careers. While your company may provide you with some skills training, that alone might not keep you heading in the right direction. Your personal development also matters, and that’s something your employer can’t address.
Personal growth and professional advancement often go hand-in-hand. Your strengths and weaknesses, including on a personal level, impact your ability to perform at work. As a result, it can either bolster or stymy your career.
If you aren’t focusing on your personal development and want to start, here are four personal growth goals that can get you moving in the right direction.
Cultivate Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is often critical for professional success. It allows you to forge stronger relationships with your colleagues, understand a situation from another person’s perspective, and deal with customers more efficiently, ensuring you avoid unnecessary conflict.
If you want to improve in this area, start by embracing active listening. Focus on what is being shared, paraphrase their input to show understanding, and ask clarifying questions whenever necessary. Not only will this ensure that you don’t miss important parts of a conversation, but it also makes the other person feel heard and respected.
Build Confidence
Being confident in what you bring to the table is critical if you want a successful career. With it, you’re more likely to land a new job, secure a raise, negotiate for a promotion, and be viewed as a leader.
If you struggle with confidence, enlist some help. Ask trusted mentors and colleagues where you truly shine and where your unique talents lie. Ask them to describe your standout contributions or what about you they consider incredibly useful. Then, take them at their word and use it to fuel your confidence.
Spark Motivation
Motivation is often the key to productivity and performance. Learning how to motivate yourself can ensure you always exceed expectations and will make you appear ambitious and driven.
Try treating motivation like a behavior instead of a mood. This empowers you to take control of your situation. Then, push yourself to take action more quickly, particularly when you are faced with a task that you’d rather avoid. Break down the less-than-desirable activity into smaller ones, and aim to tackle each one regardless of whether you are in the mood. Over time, you’ll train yourself to move forward even when you wouldn’t typically want to, allowing you to keep your motivation up.
Be Mindful
Mindfulness has been a bit of a buzzword for some time, and the meaning of it can be a bit blurry. However, at the core is a simple concept; it’s about training yourself to focus on the present instead of letting your mind fret about the past or worry about the future.
Usually, starting with meditation is a great way to boost mindfulness. The practice teaches you to be present in the moment and to set aside intrusive thoughts. In a reasonably short time, it can make a substantial difference in your mindset.
If you’d like to learn more about personal development or are looking for a new Mississippi job, the team at TempStaff can help. Contact us today and see how our career management expertise can benefit you.
