Tiffany Hoxie* presents seven strategies to help women transform their careers.
No matter the career path you may find yourself on, some strategies and skills are universal to our success.
Regardless of whether you are a few years into your career or are a seasoned professional, these following seven strategies can help create or recreate a solid foundation to help boost your success.
1) Master the basics.
Build your career on a foundation that will place you on a path of sustainable success.
A few of the fundamentals are determination, persistence, and patience.
No matter where your career takes you, always return to these highly effective habits of success.
When you are faced with new challenges and setbacks, remember that all new skills can be learned, and always hold yourself accountable for your personal development and growth.
2) Find a mentor.
Begin by visualising what your ideal mentor would look like.
What traits are you looking for this person to have? What skills do you wish to obtain?
As you pursue a mentor, consider how you would like your career to look several years from now.
Mentoring works when you find a match, and essentially you are both on the same page.
The best part? A mentor can alter and enhance your career. You can begin by looking inside your organisation.
If you are in business for yourself, understand that a relationship with a mentor can look different these days.
You can use your online virtual circle of relationships to capture others’ advice, wisdom, and experience without ever knowing them personally.
3) Surround yourself with others who have similar goals.
It’s essential to surround yourself with others who share common goals.
If we have friends who have mutual goals, the chances of reaching our goals are altered exponentially.
We are influenced by our setting more so than we think we are.
Place yourself in an environment that helps support your goals and passions.
4) Say goodbye to your comfort zone.
The moment you get a little too comfortable in the position you’re in, it’s time to revaluate your next step.
Comfort zones make us complacent, and this can disrupt our personal growth.
Creating a growth environment for yourself introduces new experiences, expands your mind, and allows you to discover new ideas and things you may love.
Yet, you miss the mark if you are too afraid because you have been playing it safe too long. In Raise Your Game, author Alan Stein Jr. reminds us:
There is no reward for always playing it safe, the most successful people in any industry thrive in discomfort.
5) Respect your time.
How you spend your hours before and after work and on the weekends is imperative to your overall success.
Find activities and hobbies that are meaningful.
While it may seem appealing to head home and hit the couch or spend your free time scrolling social media, it’s important to make time for meaningful activities.
Your 5-9 can be as critical to your success and your 9-5. Use this window of time to move your body, meet up with a friend, or work on a passion project.
Focus on activities that can help boost your happiness level, leaving you refreshed for the next workday.
6) Read every single day.
Voraciously reading books and articles related to your field will help you stay informed and up-to-date with your industry.
Industry standards, practices, and technology are constantly changing. Staying well-versed in your field will help you become an expert.
Take time every day to learn something new, as this will give you a knowledge advantage.
7) Rest and recharge.
Burnout is real and is affecting our modern world now more than ever. It’s essential to take time away from the office and your emails.
While you may feel guilty stepping away from work, it is vital to your success.
It may appear unfeasible to take your vacation days.
However, taking time away can help you recharge and can even aid in your productivity in the long run.
It can also help to alleviate health problems one can suffer from as a result of being overworked.
Rest. Recharge. Reboot. Your future self will thank you for it.
*Tiffany Hoxie is a writer and contributor for Ellevate.
This article first appeared at ellevatenetwork.com.
