6 Ways You Can Positively Shape Your Career
Despite putting in your best efforts at work, your career can sometimes feel unfulfilling and draining. As a matter of fact, this data from Pew Research reveals that many people are struggling to sustain their careers, with 50% of Americans dissatisfied with their job overall. There are different challenges that affect the state of your career, such as your own personal motivation, the job market, and financial obligations.
However, these need not be permanent challenges that bog you down since you can make mindful decisions to take control of your career for the better. It may be daunting trying to gauge how you can change the circumstances of your career, but we've compiled a few ways to help you realize your goals and bring forth positive changes.
Practice regular self-reflection
Doing research on what you can change about your professional skills and what the current demands are in the job market is important, but to effectively shape your career for satisfaction, it’s important to reflect on yourself. You can ask questions such as, “What do I want out of my current job, and is this still the right career path for me?” “If I want to stay where I am, what can I do to make my current career more fulfilling?” “What opportunities am I hoping to get, and what am I willing to do in order to achieve these?”
Practicing self-reflection is important since it helps you understand yourself better and why you do the things that you do. It essentially reinforces your goals and can also bring your manifestations closer since you can develop a clear vision of what you want by asking the right questions.
Remember that learning is a continuous process
If your self-reflecting revealed that you’re in a career rut because of changes in your work role or industry, the best thing you can do is take the time to evolve. A lot of people forget that learning is a continuous process and you don’t have to be at the mercy of ever-changing demands and expectations. You can take the initiative to start upskilling your capabilities to get ahead of this and stay updated on the current skills that are in demand within the market. At present, skills such as data analytics, UX design, front-end web development, and product management are some of the trending capabilities employers look for. Learning these skills can open up more career opportunities in the modern work landscape.
Additionally, you can also choose to upskill the things you're already good at or invest in resources to teach yourself new things to enhance your existing skill set. This can help you unlock new knowledge and discover new things about yourself, which can lead to more opportunities for growth to improve your career.
Stay active
Your wellness and your career are intertwined, with one affecting the other. Practicing proper health habits can help you maintain your well-being and keep you alert, focused, and ambitious, which reflects in your productivity and performance. Staying active is one of the best ways to care for your health. It keeps your body strong and will help you clear your mind of any stressors, helping you think clearly about how you can make the most out of your career.
Finding time to exercise while busy at work can be challenging, but being intentional instead of doing it as an afterthought can help you be more consistent. Make it a goal to do a quick jog every morning before work or pencil in a quick workout when you get home. You can also set up a fitness community with other colleagues, which can foster a sense of community and motivation. Strengthening your connections with your other co-workers in this way can also give you a great network of people who can support and guide you in every step of your career and give you the opportunity to do the same.
Quit smoking
In line with health, quitting smoking can quitting smoking can help you improve your performance and succeed in your career. You may already know the major health impacts of smoking, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer, but it also zaps your focus and productivity. Too many cigarette breaks during the day can take time away from important work, and going too long without one can cause you to feel restless and irritated during work. Poor health impedes your career performance, making it harder to shape your career positively.
Instead of cigarettes, you can opt for smoke and tobacco-free options that are less impactful on your well-being and productivity. Emerging products like nicotine pouches are discreet and pleasant to use, and they won’t require you to leave your desk to use. You can tuck one under your lip and leave it there for an hour to absorb the nicotine. The pouches featured on this website offer a vast selection of brands (including ZYN, On!, and VELO), flavors, and nicotine levels to suit your unique preferences. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products are also an apt cigarette substitute and are approved for smoking cessation. Nicotine patches provide a dose of nicotine for up to 24 hours, which is great if you don’t want to deal with oral products during work. Read this market report for more on other NRT products like gum and lozenges. Quitting smoking with the help of these products can improve your well-being and performance, paving the way for career satisfaction and success.
Expand and explore your horizons
Most people forget that a career is beyond the role you fulfill at your job. A career is a combination of responsibilities, encounters, and pathways that you take to achieve your goals. As such, it is important to take the time to venture out and seek enriching experiences to build your career. That said, besides upskilling to improve your skill set, you can also do volunteer work within or outside your field to grow your experiences and step outside of your comfort zone.
You don’t need to be static in your career, and it’s good to try different things to know yourself, your goals, and your professional choices better. In doing so, you might even realize that you want to change the nature of your employment and find something that seems more personally fulfilling to you. Our post on choosing positivity emphasizes that working a dead-end job is a bad habit to avoid if you want to improve your life, and you may need to change your environment to allow yourself to grow and see positive changes within your career.
Strive to have hobbies outside of work
While it is important to focus on your career and put in great effort to see success, it’s crucial that you spend time away from work-related things. This write-up highlights that creating the right work-life balance is not about slacking off or forgetting about your goals—rather, it is finding the right outlets to relieve stress and let yourself be temporarily free from work obligations.
Not doing so can lead to burnout, stress, anxiety, and overall dissatisfaction with your life because all you focus on is your career. You need to have hobbies, such as reading, sports, exercise, gardening, cooking, playing games, and other things you enjoy during downtime. Some hobbies like sports can also be great networking opportunities, which can enrich your career for the better.
For more on finding clarity and fulfillment in your career and life,visit our website to explore our master guides and articles.
