The Ultimate Career Hack…
Start before you feel ready.
To avoid :
- Regrets.
- Missing opportunities.
- Occupying your brain’s bandwidth with the same resentment (“I should have”).
Waiting to be ready is another way for us to procrastinate.
To let our fears imprison us.
Now that we know, let’s learn to start before we feel ready.
11 ideas to help you start before you feel ready
1/ Don’t wait for the perfect moment; it doesn’t exist.
Waiting for the perfect moment is a form of procrastination.
Replace it with.
What are the minimum conditions for launching?
Entrepreneurs call it the MVP (Minimum Viable Product.).
Create yours. Make them so simple that you can’t help but get started.
2/ When the time comes, don’t try to secure 100% of the project.
Risks are always there.
Everything interesting involves uncertainty. Trying to remove it is impossible.
And if you managed to clear all the uncertainty, the project would be boring.
Replace it with :
- What are my biggest risks?
- If they materialize, what are my options for bouncing back?
3/ Those who offer you the job believe in you. Believe them.
In any case, you’ll be right. Choose to believe in yourself.
4/ Don’t try to avoid impostor syndrome.
It’s a friend that helps you excel.
The one who gave you the job has it too. So did the one you replaced.
Use the imposter syndrome as a trigger to get started
You’re not alone. We all have it. Remember that when you doubt yourself.
5/ You don’t need to know everything from the start.
- Listen.
- Ask what works,
- What doesn’t,
- And what they’d do.
Clarity will come from confusion.
“I have to know before” is a lie.
You’ll never know everything. But you must be ready to learn constantly.
Your attitude is more important than your skills. Change it and learn everything you need to succeed.
Go deeper: From Confusion To Clarity In 6 Steps: A Practical Process For Your Complex Projectsclarity article
6/ Meet as many people as possible from all backgrounds.
Get a 360° view of the job.
This is the method of (good) CEOs when they take a new job. Don’t wait to be CEO to use it. It works at all levels. And if your dream is to become a CEO, this approach will accelerate your next promotion.
Go deeper: The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels by Michael D. Watkins
7/ Don’t collapse hearing about what doesn’t work.
Current issues are your career springboards.
Their problems are your opportunities.
The more they have, the more you develop and grow your career.
8/ Accept a 3 to 9-month period where you’ll feel overwhelmed.
Your success is in making things run smoothly after this period.
Forget your balance for a while. Embrace obsession during this time.
It’s a sprint.
Be careful. Staying in the red for too long is the surest way to explode.
Be strategically overwhelmed. You are in control.
9/ Firmly negotiate expectations.
“What does success mean?” and “By when?”
You aim to negotiate the longest period and bring calm faster than expected.
No vagueness, assumptions, or unspoken words. Clearly define with your stakeholders what success means. You’ll be surprised that they’re often unclear on it.
Use it to influence what you think you can achieve.
10/ You are more than your results.
Don’t get attached to them, whether things work out or not.
The whole point is what you’re going to experience.
- Identify the priority problem.
- Meet people. Co-create with them.
- Face difficulties you thought you couldn’t solve.
- Remain exemplary in these chaotic periods.
That’s what you gain. An experience you’ll keep with you forever.
The result is just one indicator among many. Don’t make it the only one.
11/ Keep your personal projects even during intense periods.
They’re the oxygen you need to develop your best ideas and manage your energy.
You’re going to be so busy that obsession will become almost natural. Don’t let it happen.
Organize your oxygen mask and do the important things during this time.
Meet your friends, continue your hobby, go running, swimming…
Career Hack : The Bottom line
“It’s much harder” is another misconception. It’s harder to:
- Stay where you are when you want to do more.
- Limit your ambitions.
- Not to test for fear of failure.
To attempt is to grow. And we all (secretly) desire to experiment with that.
Believe in yourself. Take the leap.
Want to grab your opportunity?
Let’s chat for 30 minutes to help build your next career advancement.
See you soon.
Dror
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