In my last post, I raised awareness on 5 keys to career excellence and success. The first part focused on two very important keys to Career Excellence and Success inspired by an article I read at my pediatrician’s office on the 8 Keys to Excellence – Making Great Kids Greater. The two keys of Excellence I focused on were: 1) Failure Leads to Success and 2) Focus on the NOW!

I encouraged you to take a few weeks to digest the information presented, evaluate your perceived failures and view these failures as an opportunity to gain feedback. Apply what you learn as you move toward living in the moment. My hope is that you took the time to complete these tasks and are taking purposeful and positive steps forward to changing your future (not only in life but also in your career).

In Part 2 of the 5 Keys to Career Excellence and Success, I am going to discuss Commitment, Flexibility, and Balance. I purposely focus on these three keys together because whether you are in a job search or a life transition each one offers positive insight into achieving your goals.

• Commitment!

Whether you are in a job search or a life transition, you are always facing a decision. You are at a crossroads just prior to making a choice. Make the choice and stay on track.

The time is now to make a commitment to a goal. If you are in a job search, you are committed to finding a rewarding job. If you are in a life transition, maybe you are committed to buying a new home? Regardless of what your goal is, I encourage you to stay strong and run toward your commitment (choice) with gusto.

Visualize your goal every day and set tasks and mini-goals to accomplish as you remain committed to your goal. Write your goal down on a piece of paper and create a to-do list of things you need to accomplish in order to reach your goal.

Going back to the job search scenario, your ultimate goal is to secure a job with a target company. Your to-do list should include tasks related to informational interviews, resume and cover letter preparation, and professional development to name a few. If you are trying to buy a new home, your to-do list may include seeking a mortgage lender, selecting a real estate agent to assist you, etc.

When you make a choice and commit yourself to it, you want to ensure you commit to your goal with 100% effort and take positive and purposeful steps every day toward reaching this goal.

• Flexibility!

The fun part about life is that it is always changing. We may have this great plan laid out for our future but often, the path to success is turbulent and never quite as smooth as we would hope. The best part about this is that life will never be boring. However, it does require that we remain flexible while reaching our goals.

Flexibility and adaptability are the cornerstone skills required to advance our success in all facets of life. It would be great if our life vision went exactly as we plan it – but this is rarely the case. Being flexible allows us the ability to remain positive in sometimes negative situations. It is the knowledge that if we make a change or tweak to our plan we can still stay on track to reach our main goal and achieve success.

The key here is to not give up the minute the road gets bumpy. Enjoy the little detours and appreciate how much stronger and more resilient you will be once you achieve your goal.

• Balance!

Wow, this word is powerful. It is something many of us struggle with. As an entrepreneur and mother, I often find the balance between the two can sway continuously. I used to be one of those people that stuck to a rigid plan and if that plan didn’t go as expected, I would easily become frustrated and stressed. Usually, taking this out on my closest family and friends. What was the point of my goal in the first place if I was miserable?

Over the years, I learned to incorporate mindful exercise and meditation into my daily routine. I continue to always have a plan and I encourage you to as well. However, I am much more adaptable and flexible to all of life’s ups and downs. I am more aware that as I balance all of life’s commitments I am still working toward and honouring my main goal. I may just have to flex my time differently than anticipated.

Adding more balance to my life has brought more happiness and better health. My business time management has actually improved (weird, huh?) and I am much more positive about reaching my own goals.

Ensure your life is balanced, allow yourself to have fun. If you are so committed to your goal that you forget to enjoy the little moments happening around you then you are not having fun. Your goal, be it professional or personal, becomes a pain and a negative in your life. Think of ways you can add more balance (and fun) into your life and go for it without feeling guilty.

The Guilt…

It is the guilt that gets to us, right? We always feel pulled in another direction and forget to enjoy the moment life is offering us now.

Overall, these 5 keys to Career Excellence are an excellent reminder that life is not linear and to enjoy the bumps in the road. Limit the guilt you feel while striving for your goal.

As you commit to your career success, continue to evaluate your failures. Adjust your sails by remaining flexible. Ensure that you are living a balanced life that focuses more on the NOW.

Focus less on the past (you can’t change it anyway). Don’t worry too much about the future that you miss life right now. Have fun and enjoy the journey of your life. I promise you will be happier as you reach for new heights in your career and life success. That goal is a great goal – but it will be even greater if you are happy once you achieve it.

 

Thank you for reading my blog. If you have questions or comments or are seeking advice for how to bring your career success to new heights, reach out to me at info@skyeisthelimit.ca.