KEY BEHAVIORS THAT HOLD WOMEN BACK FROM CAREER SUCCESS – part 4 – PROCRASTINATION, NOT WORKING SMART and COMFORT ZONE FOCUS
We all want to be more successful - in one way or another.
There is a problem, though. There is often a lot working against us and our success. We might have had a chance at a big promotion, but there were too many other good candidates. Sure, we could switch careers, but there never seems to be the right time.
Sometimes it feels like everyone and everything is conspiring to steal your success! To top it off, we haven’t even mentioned everyone’s biggest impediment to success: themselves. It’s true.
We are often the authors of our own demise. We engage in behaviors and habits that hold us back from true success. That is why I wrote this blog series. I will examine eight key behaviors that typically hold people back from success.
In part 1 I did define what I mean by success and what the first success blocker is: SEEKING APPROVAL. Here is the link to the first blog of this series.
In part 2 I was looking into two other success blockers: TOO PERFECT and LACK OF FOCUS. Here is the link to the second blog of this series.
In part 3 I was talking about SPENDING YOUR TIME WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE and FEARING FAILURE. Here is the link to the third blog of this series.
Let´s now continue to look into other behaviours that hold women back.
You Plan But Don’t Act
Many people are better at planning than they are at acting. This is a problem.
Obviously, being a good planner is vital to your success. In the long run, it is certainly more sustainable than just flying by the seat of your pants. Planning only becomes a problem when you get more comfortable making plans than actually taking action. It makes sense on some levels, though. It is enjoyable to think about what could be. When you think about it, planning (without acting) is really nothing more than daydreaming about your future. It’s fun to get lost in the idea of the future. It’s even fun thinking about the path it will take you to get there. Do you know what is less fun, though? Putting in the actual work to make your plans a reality.
That is the usual reason people fail to act on their plans. The planning part is easy. The work rarely is. If you want success in your life, you must work for it. You don’t have to “wake up and grind” every single morning, but you do have to act at some point. What is a plan with action? Nothing but a piece of paper.
There are many reasons people will get stuck in the planning process of their dreams and goals. Sometimes it is something we already mentioned, like a fear of failure, or seeking perfection. Other times, it might be their circumstances in life. However, a lot of the time, it comes down to an unwillingness to put in the work
Real-Life Examples
It’s the start of the year. You are ready to make it your best year yet. You spend your entire New Year’s Day making plans on how you will accomplish your biggest goals. You feel motivated and excited. You are ready to attack Monday and go after everything you want. Monday rolls around, and you find yourself sticking to your same old routine.
How to Address
Take a Small Step
One of the best ways to start taking more action is to take one simple step. This way, you can start building positive motivation. I know a runner who struggles to motivate himself to go out every day. If he finds his motivation is flagging, he does nothing else but put his running shoes on. This helps him by removing a single small obstacle. Now he is more likely to run because he can’t use the excuse that he can’t bother to put his shoes on.
Find Out the Root Cause
Why aren’t you taking action? Figuring out the root cause of your issue will make it easier to find a solution. Are you afraid of failing? Are you afraid of succeeding? Does the idea of hard work bother you? Maybe you are suffering self-doubt. Whatever the reason is, it is important to try and figure it out.
Set Deadlines When You Plan
Instead of just planning to do something “eventually,” you should create specific deadlines. Even better is to set deadlines for each step of your plan. Nothing will force you to stick to these deadlines, but we are more likely to act on something if there is a perceived deadline.
Embrace Imperfection
You already know the importance of giving up on the idea of perfection. There won’t be a perfect time for you to act. There won’t be perfect circumstances for you to act. You need to embrace imperfection and learn to take action when things are good enough.
You Don’t Work Smart
Hard work is important, and a vital part of our success but so is working smarter. Some people would argue it is even more important. Working smarter can mean a whole host of things, but essentially it boils down to getting more done efficiently.
Working smarter typically includes these behaviors: *
· Doubling down on your strengths
· Finding outside help to address your weaknesses
· Thinking outside of the box
· Having a strategic plan to accomplish something
· Working in a manner that won’t exhaust you
· Always acquiring up to date knowledge
· Selecting the right opportunities
· Focusing on one task at a time
· Batching similar tasks together
· Working during your most productive hours
· Systemizing or automating routine tasks
· Asking for help when you need it
* Quick note: This list is hardly exhaustive, and just because something is on the list doesn’t mean you need to do that to work smarter.
Working smarter will allow you to direct more energy to important tasks and get things done without worrying about burning out. It allows you to make the most out of the precious time you have. It doesn’t replace hard work. In fact, it is the perfect complement to it.
Real-Life Examples
You start on a new task. You know you must get it done, so you don’t want to waste time planning. You start working hard as you can, but you lack direction, and you aren’t making too much headway. Eventually, you are too tired to carry on, and you realize you didn’t even come close to finishing.
You are working on a big project at work. You are crushing all the content, but you know that your design skills are weak. You can’t make it look as good as you want. Your coworker (a design wiz) offers you a hand, but you say you don’t need it. You figure if you work hard enough, you can get it done. Time to turn in the project, and even though the content is great, it looks amateurish and doesn’t have the impact you expected.
How to Address
Take More Breaks
I know this sounds counter-intuitive but taking more breaks will help you keep working at maximum efficiency. Regular breaks are also a good time for some self-care. They give you time to get up, move around and drink some water.
Surround Yourself with People Who Complement Your Weaknesses
We all have strengths and weaknesses. Instead of trying to fix all your weaknesses, why not double down on the strengths you already have. You can address your weaknesses by creating a team around you that excels in those areas.
Plan Before Acting
While you don’t want to get stuck in the planning phases of any project, it is still important to create a plan when tackling something new. Working hard is great, but you might not get anywhere if you don’t have any direction.
Embrace Routines
If you notice there are tasks you do repeatedly, create a routine that will allow you to do it almost mindlessly. Think about your mornings. Almost every morning is the same, anyways. Why not create a routine that you use each morning. This way, you aren’t wasting time wondering about what to do next
Too Comfortable in The Comfort Zone
The comfort zone is a great place to be sometimes – after all, they don’t call it comfort for no reason. In our current world, embracing comfort is probably healthy. I have no qualms about the comfort zone. …Unless you refuse to ever leave it.
That is when it becomes a problem. The road to success is rarely a completely comfortable ride. You are going to have to get used to being uncomfortable. That isn’t as bad as it sounds, though. Feeling uncomfortable is one way you know you are challenging yourself. It is a sign that you are growing and evolving. Consider being uncomfortable as your growing pains. If you get too comfortable in your comfort zone, you aren’t going to be willing to take risks or even stick your neck out. That is no recipe for success. Even achieving the smallest of your goals could require you to do something you aren’t entirely comfortable doing.
Keep in mind – when talking about stepping out of your comfort zone, we don’t mean going against your core values. We aren’t encouraging you to change your entire personality. Stepping out of your comfort zone is more about a willingness to take more chances and do things that make you a bit nervous.
Real-Life Examples
You have a shot at a great promotion. There is only one problem, though. It is going to mean a lot more speaking in boardrooms. You are comfortable sitting in the back of the room, but you get nervous speaking. Even though the job could be potentially life-changing, you are just too nervous about committing to the speaking, so you don’t apply.
How to Address
Start Small
Instead of jumping completely out of your comfort zone, why not try to dip your toe in first? Start challenging your comfort zone will small steps just outside of it. Do things that only make you a tiny bit uncomfortable. You will find it easier to work up to bigger activities that challenge you if you keep doing this.
Do Everyday Things Differently
So many of us have settled into simple, comfortable routines that we don’t even realize we are in our comfort zone. Try shaking some of your daily activities up. Eat some new meals. Take a new route to work. Turn off the TV and read a book. These simple deviations from your comfort zone will prime you up for bigger changes.
Learn Something New
Whenever we learn something new, we typically step outside of our comfort zone. We are doing something new and foreign to us. It challenges us in new and exciting ways. You could choose to learn a new skill that complements your profession. You could also learn a new hobby. Whatever you choose, learning new things is a great way to step out of your comfort zone.
Conclusion
Success isn’t as tricky as everyone makes it out to be. While success means different things to different people, at the end of the day, a successful person is just someone who achieves the things they want to achieve. No one can create your roadmap to success. That is something you have to seriously think about and create for yourself. However, as a career and leadership coach, I can help you avoid behaviors that typically hold people back from achieving what they want to achieve. If you can remove – or at least mitigate – these 8 behaviors from your life, then you will see better results all around. Here is the link to a free discovery call.
You will achieve more of the things you attempt to achieve. …and that’s success!
Best of luck on your journey. My group coaching GLOW UP! can help you to overcome the success blockers. Reach out to me to learn more.
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Related posts:
My career and life secret: Never stop learning — Katharina Engelhardt I Career coach for women
Maintain focus under Pressure — Katharina Engelhardt I Career coach for women
Self-care the basis for work-life balance — Katharina Engelhardt I Career coach for women
Knowing your priorities — Katharina Engelhardt I Career coach for women
Why Are Our Lives Out of Balance? — Katharina Engelhardt I Career coach for women