Happy spring!
I wish I could say that spring was in the air when I wrote this blog, but the temps were still pretty frigid where BRODY is located in the Philadelphia suburbs. The snow also was still evident on the ground.
After a few days of warmer weather, our temperatures will again drop to the 30s and 40s next week. And, the long-range forecast calls for yet more snow! Still, every year at this time, my thoughts turn to spring …
I wonder if we’re not just tired of the long, cold winter, but if this annual anticipation is actually hardwired within us? After all, spring is the time of renewal and regrowth. It is a time of change and renewed optimism.
Can you feel it? Don’t you feel a certain thrill when you see those first crocuses peeking up from the frozen ground? Those first hints of green dotting the trees? The birds building their nests and laying their eggs? Although these things seem to be happening outside of our daily lives, we are just as connected to the Earth’s cycle of renewal as the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees.
Spring seems to renew people’s optimism. So, why not take advantage of this natural cycle?
Perhaps it’s time for a spring career cleaning!
This is the perfect time to revisit your career goals. Have you fallen into a rut at work? Are you turning out work that’s less than your best? Have you abandoned your dreams of claiming that corner office or starting your own business? Have you forgotten your own potential, buried beneath winter’s coats, boots, worries and cares?
Sometimes we give up without even realizing that we have.
Before jumping to action or panicking over perceived or real missed opportunities, try to understand what happened to put you into this rut. Then, determine what you need to do to climb out of it.
Why did you abandon your dreams? The economy? Fear of failure? Lack of knowledge about how to proceed?
• Perhaps you need a spring attitude adjustment.
• Perhaps you need to grow your network of contacts, advocates, or find a mentor.
• Perhaps you need some new skills or executive coaching to help your confidence bloom.
• Perhaps you need to bring your dreams in from the cold, and let the sun shine on them again and give them new life!
If as part of your career-oriented “spring cleaning” efforts, you decide to make a job change … you might want to take a good, honest look at why you’re unhappy before you burn any bridges, leap up and run off to another job where you might find the exact same issues. You might just find, if you’re really honest, that you are the one who needs to clean up your act!
Along with our training and coaching offerings, BRODY also has a wide variety of books that can help you achieve greater career success. We’re also about to launch a series of 10 “mini” books — “Your Competitive Advantage” — that will give you a development boost. You can purchase the entire set or buy them individually. Stay tuned for the actual launch date.
In the meantime, remember, now is the time to consider: How will you spring clean your career?