Overcome 3 Universal Barriers to Success and Become an Unstoppable Workplace Force
Yet, in the process of building that habit, you'll inevitably face barriers—like external opinions, your own baggage, and rejection. Overcoming these near-universal conflicts are critical both for keeping the Genius Habit in motion and continuing to be the most successful you possible. And by embracing the challenges as positives into your success mind-set, you'll be able to make it happen. Here's how:
1. Don't prioritize what your loved ones (and society) think about success
Success is a highly individualized concept. Figure out what it means for you, and ignore the noise of society's stance on the matter. If others—even those who have opinions you totally value, like family members, friends, and significant others—see success differently, take a step back and try to remember whose life you're living.
It makes sense that the best career for you will look different than what others in your life would choose. To that point, take advice that doesn’t feel right with a grain of salt. If people don’t understand what you’re very confidently doing, that's on them.
2. Cultivate self-awareness and rise above emotional baggage
Self-awareness obviously isn't something that's taught in school, so knowing where to begin when building up a strong sense of it isn't a by-the-books easy thing. Thankfully the Genius Habit can help, since it tasks you with committing to see both self-awareness and self-appreciation as critical tools for success. Unfortunately some collateral damage comes with doing this worthy work—namely that emotional baggage is illuminated in the process.
The brain is malleable, and we all have the power to rewire it and cultivate a positive mental attitude. You simply have to be disciplined about working toward your goal.
Yep, I'm talking about that very same set of habits, anxieties, and general icky feelings commonly associated with romantic relationships because emotional baggage can also affect career goals. Did you formerly have a bad experience with rude coworkers or a toxic boss or what you felt to be an unreasonable work-life balance? Any number of reactions to situations in a professional environment can inform how you bring yourself to work each day. It's what you do with this information about your baggage that counts. Thankfully, the brain is malleable, and we all have the power to rewire it and cultivate a positive mental attitude. You simply have to be disciplined about working toward your goal.
3. See rejection as a key part of a success journey
Failures are just learning opportunities along the path toward success, but so many people still cloak their misses in shame. When you choose to embrace it though, rejection can be your voice of reason amid uncertainty. Take getting fired, which doesn't top most people’s bucket lists. Since few actually evaluate the job from a place of confidence, self-awareness, and opportunity for success, many stick around for far too long. In this case, being fired can be seen as gift since it sends the message that you're not at the best gig for you. It forces action that often is desired but not often taken.
Laura is a performance strategist, TEDx speaker, and author of The Genius Habit. Through her New York City-based company, Garnett Consulting, she works with CEOs and executives to identify their unique genius and purpose, and craft an actionable plan to leverage them in their day-to-day work. She has consulted with organizations including Capital One, Pandora, LinkedIn, and Instructure.
Okay, so job loss isn't the worst thing in the world, but it's still not easy. If you do get fired or laid off, here's how to not lose yourself in the process. Plus, bookmark this three-step checklist for staying financially healthy if it does happen.
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