How Do I Find
The Motivation To Get To The Next Stage Of My Career?
Leadership coach Lolly
Daskal and Psychologist Art Markman answer reader question.
The office can be an
overwhelming and tricky landscape. To help you navigate the often uncertain
terrain of work-life, we’ve tapped a panel of experts to answer your trickiest
questions. In this new weekly series, we'll find answers to any dilemma you
throw at us--from how to get people to notice your fledgling business to the
best way to handle a difficult boss or ethical grey area and anything in
between.
Our first reader question
is from R. Ale of San Francisco, and is answered by a psychologist and a
leadership coach:
When I started out my
career, I was incredibly passionate and had a burning desire to succeed. But as
I’ve entered into my 30s, I’ve accomplished all the goals I set out to do and
am having a hard time finding that desire and passion for the things I want to
do next.
How do I map out the next chapter of my life and maintain
the drive to keep going onto the next stages of my career?
Art Markman, professor of
Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin. His latest book,
Smart Change, focuses on how you can use the science of motivation to
change your behavior at work and home.
Dear R.,
First off, congratulations
on your success! Your initial dedication and perseverance have paid off.
Given the way you
described your situation, though, I’m not surprised that you are feeling
unmotivated now. Psychologists have found that the more satisfied a person is
with what they have achieved, the less motivated they are to advance, and vice
versa.
If you want to advance but
need a jumpstart of motivation, start thinking about what you haven’t
accomplished yet.
To help you explore your
options, I recommend the technique of looking back to look forward.
Studies on regret show
that, when people in their 70s and 80s look back on their life, they often
regret things they didn’t do (like never learning to salsa dance or playing a
musical instrument) rather than mistakes they made or ventures that failed. You
can use a little mental time travel to think about what you might regret.
This perspective often
helps bring to light other dreams that you can pursue as you move forward.
Once you set your sights
on a new goal, it is time to generate a specific plan to get there. A common
thing that holds people back from really committing to make a significant
career contribution is that the path isn’t clear because their career goals
phrased abstractly. In order to get there you need to take specific actions.
Abstract goals can’t
engage your brain’s motivational system directly, so you may feel unmotivated
by them.
Instead, you need to focus
on actions that you can take on a daily and weekly basis that will move you
forward in your goal.
Finally, as you enter your
30s, you have hit a great age for picking up some new skills. If you want to
completely change your perspective on work, or start an entirely new career,
consider a master’s degree.
Even if you don’t want to
go to graduate school, consider what other skills you want to build. I recently
read an article about parkour enthusiasts. These individuals have learned to
navigate urban environments by leaping over obstacles and climbing walls. The
people interviewed talked about how their growing skills helped them to see
handholds and footholds that were invisible to them before. Similarly, the
expertise by expanding your skillset will help you to see opportunities that
lie dormant in your world.
Good luck!
Lolly Daskal is a Leadership
Development and CEO coach and consultant and founder of Lead From Within
Follow @LollyDaskal.
Dear R.,
Congratulations, you
should be really proud!
Finding the next step is
not an easy one, especially if you had an incredible passion and now you have
to cultivate it all over again. The first step is letting go of your
expectations and trusting what you may uncover in the next phase of your
journey.
The road to connecting
with your passion and desire begins with going inward--slowing down, tuning in,
and spending time with yourself.
It means you literally
have to shut off your mind so you can hear your heart speak and find the things
that bring you meaning.
Here are some starting
places as you plan your next move:
The mind keeps us going in
circles, saying the same thing over and over again. We need new feelings to get
us to the next adventure in our lives. When we make time to tune in we can pay
attention to any and all feelings.
To help you tune in,
reflect on these questions:
What gives me great
energy?
What makes me happy?
What do I love most about
myself?
Watch your surroundings
and the people in your life. Look for clues in everything you do and every
place you go. A song on the radio, conversation with a friend--anything may
give you an indication of those things that will lead you to your passions.
Life is always giving us clues, but we don’t always make the time to notice them.
As you observe your
surroundings, ask yourself these questions:
Do I make the time for new
things, adventures, and people?
Am I doing all I can with
myself to move forward?
Where can I go that I have
not gone yet?
Your process will be
unique to you. You are different and distinct from everyone else. Reflecting on
what makes you special, through your own perspective or that of a friend, a
coach, or mentor, will help you with the next adventure in your life.
These questions can help
you determine what makes you different:
What talents do I have?
What do people come to me
for advice about?
What are my strong points?
Read about the career
paths of people you admire for inspiration on how they did it. There is also a
wealth of courses and coaches to help you find your inspiration and tackle any
confusion you might have--which is the most detrimental feeling of all.
Seek inspiration by asking
yourself:
What did I do today that
inspired me?
What book have I read
lately that sparked me?
Who is out there doing
work I admire?
Once you’ve done your
homework, it’s time to start doing something that interests you. When you don’t
know what to do for sure, try something that you think might be on the right
track.
Take a risk and step out
to try something new. By challenging your fear with action, you'll not only
raise your self-esteem, you'll expand your comfort zone. If you're not sure of
what to do, do something. Enlist a friend, take a chance.
Remember that life happens
when you’re in action. By trying something new even if you're not sure of the
outcome, you may discover a passionate interest by accident.
It’s all a process of
discovery, about yourself and what you want. It’s not simple. It’s all trial
and error.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3026089/ask-the-experts/ask-the-experts-how-do-i-find-the-motivation-to-get-to-the-next-stage-of-my-?partner=newsletter
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