As a career coach, I give a lot of advice on work (and sometimes life).
I mean, that’s why people reach out to me in the first place – so they can get help with navigating their professional journey and take their careers to the next level.
What I’ve realized is that no matter how creative I try to be with the way I deliver my words of wisdom, more often than not, the simpler the advice is, the more likely people are to act on it.
With that in mind, here are the 10 most inspiring career lessons I’ve learned over the past decade from my experiences, working with clients and my own mentors – each in 140 characters or less – #twitterstyle.
#1 If at first you don’t succeed, you can always try again.
One of the great things about our career journey is that it’s never set in stone – even though we’re sometimes taught to believe that it is. So, you’ve graduated from college with a certain degree, went to grad school to continue studying in that field, then got a job related to said field, then another one and another one. Guess what? It’s OK to change your mind.
#2 You should have more than just a job, you should have a purpose.
Purpose is what happens when your core values are aligned with what you do for a living. A job can’t get you through the tough times that inevitably plague all of our career paths, but your purpose will.
#3 Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.
100% of the world’s most successful people didn’t wait around for their purpose to fall from the sky. They didn’t sit idly by hoping to one day be lucky enough to find out what they were meant to do for work. Instead, they decided to create opportunities for themselves to showcase their skills and talents.
#4 You can’t think your way to clarity, you’ve got to take action.
There’s a limit on how much thinking you can do or how much advice you can get. There has to come a point where you step on the gas and move. It’s the only way to achieve any real clarity.
#5 Act like what you do matters, because it does.
Where you are in your career today is the direct result of the decisions you’ve made up to this point. If there is any part of you that is unhappy with where you’ve ended up, all you have to do is decide to do things differently. No matter how small that first step is, it’s a step in the right direction and one that will shape where you end up in the future.
#6 You can do anything with a positive attitude better than you can do it with a negative one.
This quote is by Zig Ziglar and is a universal truth.
#7 Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength.
This has got to be the single most impactful piece of advice I’ve ever been given. Knowing when to ask for help is a skill that not everyone has yet mastered, but for those that do, the sky’s the limit.
#8 Thoughts become things.
Before you can achieve even the smallest amount of professional success, you’ll have to believe you can first. It’s virtually impossible to end up somewhere you don’t even believe exists.
#9 You should always know your ‘why’.
Whether it’s why you’re in the industry you’re in, or why you chose to work for the specific company you did – you should always be crystal clear on the reason behind every step you take in your career. When you know ‘why’, it’s easy to figure out ‘how’ and ‘what next’.
#10 Focus is essential.
Whatever you turn your attention to is what your mind will begin to work on. The longer you focus your attention on something, the more successful you’ll become at it - so be mindful of what you're paying attention to.
While it can sometimes feel like advice – especially when it's related to your career – comes a dime a dozen, each of the above lessons have proven to be valuable throughout my own path as well as for the people I work with on a daily basis.
If you're ready to jump start your own inspiring career path, download the Find Your Purpose blueprint, today. Learn the step by step process to get crystal clear on how to find work you were meant to do. Yours free, today!
