Are You in Career Quicksand?

Does this describe you?

• Desperately trying to keep your job or business from swallowing you up?
• Totally focused on completing all your daily tasks but never getting through your to do list?
• Working nights and weekends to catch up?
• Stressed? Exhausted?
• Do you find the more you struggle to keep on top of things, the more you sink into the abyss?

I call this career quicksand. Why? Because when you are in this situation with your business or career, you are stuck and I mean really stuck!  The consequences of this are that you are not in the position or frame of mind to move your business or career forward. When you are in career quicksand, you cannot think clearly or objectively. As long as you are totally focused on daily tasks, you do not have the time or energy to be creative. All your energy is expended on daily survival.

What would it take for you to extricate yourself from this trap and begin to think more strategically?

Here are some tips to pull yourself out of the quicksand:

1. At least once a day, take some time to do something totally different from work; anything that will clear you mind. Ideally, scheduling even a few short breaks (10 minutes) during the day helps to keep up your energy and stimulate your creativity.
2. Work with a coach or mentor. This partnership can give you a new perspective on your business and career. The potential to see things more objectively offers a great opportunity to get “unstuck”.
3. Start an Affinity Group at work. Gather a group of like-minded women together on a regular basis to discuss and brainstorm on work place challenges and opportunities.
4. Schedule regular networking meetings (lunch, dinner, coffee) with peers outside of your own company. It’s amazing what wisdom is available from other business owners or women in similar corporate positions.
5. Keep your mind open to new approaches through a variety of resources. There are many insightful and valuable books on business management and leadership. (Let me know if you would like some suggestions). There are also many worthwhile online resources.

The first step to getting “unstuck” is to realize that you ARE stuck and that the consequences of this are detrimental to the growth of your business and career. You simply can’t move forward if all of your energy is focused on daily tasks and survival.

Look for ways to pull yourself out of the quicksand and think strategically about where you want to go and how best to get there.

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