Don’t be fooled by my LinkedIn profile. Yes, my LinkedIn profile shows my linear career path and promotions over the last 20+ years working in HR.
To some it appears that I had all my sh*t together, and some days I did and some days not so much.
I worked hard, and then harder with the next promotion in sight each time. I learned a lot, and I cried a lot (in my car in the parking lot).
This is why you will often hear me say:
I am thankful for the lessons and the blessings.
My career has been rewarding but there’s a point in almost every career, often after years of being the reliable one, the one who handles it, the one who takes on more and more, when busy stops feeling the same as productive.
When it stops feeling sustainable.
You realize that taking more on without letting some things go or grinding harder doesn’t earn you what’s next. It’s setting you back in your career or in your personal life.
Maybe you’re circling a promotion. Maybe there’s a project sitting unclaimed that you’d love to work on. Maybe you’re circling your way towards something entirely new.
Welcome to the 5-Part Work Mindset Shift.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll walk you through the mindset shift that continues to help me grow, develop, and make room for the work I want to do.
It’s a shift that I have leaned on to stay successful at work. It’s a shift I now also use to make room for wellbeing and new things I want to learn and experience.
This shift is not about avoiding hard work. Hard work is fulfilling, builds resilience and feels pretty damn great when you’ve tackled a challenge.
This shift is about doing hard work without grinding yourself to the ground by taking on more without limits.
Some of those promotions you see on my LinkedIn profile were a result of taking on more responsibilities and projects without letting go of old responsibilities.
I took on more work, worked more hours while also being a mom and caregiver to family members. I love to work but I worked so much that my love of work burned out.
Until I learned to work differently, some may call it working smarter.
I call it working heart-er.
A way to do hard work with heart, in a way that makes you feel excited and expanded about the work you are doing and that allows you to make room for the other things you want to do and experience.
So, let’s get started with part one of the work mindset shift. Each part will build on the last.
Part 1: Ask yourself, what are my goals?
Optional: The first part is a big question. If you are feeling overwhelmed from your day-to-day work and personal life, it may be hard to visualize your bigger picture.
Meditation and a few quiet minutes help me find grounding as I navigate through decisions. You’re welcome to take a few quiet minutes with this short, guided practice.
The goal is not to stop your thoughts because that is nearly impossible. The goal is to help your thoughts slow down enough to visualize your future goals.
This is going to look different for everyone. A promotion. A career change. A new skill you’ve been circling for a while. A project no one has claimed yet. More challenging work. More time for the things that excite and expand you.
I’ve put together a template to help you think out loud on paper. This isn’t meant to be more work, and it isn’t meant to be finished in one sitting. Give it three days, four or more days. There are no right or wrong answers here.
Whatever the reason, this mindset shift is meant to help you work toward those goals.
(Remember: This is not a performance review. If the word goal doesn’t resonate, change it. Maybe it’s aspirations or milestones. This is your life, your career. Make this your own.)
Write down one to three goals you want to accomplish in the next 12 months. Be as specific as possible. Some examples below:
I will be promoted to [role], I will take on [project], I will learn how to [skill, hobby, topic], I will [anything you have your heart set on]
Place these goals somewhere you’ll see them daily such as your desk, your mirror. Or set them as a daily reminder on your phone.
Let them be a constant reminder of what you’re working toward.
The shift starts small. Sometimes you won’t notice the shift in your thinking, but you will start to feel it. Feeling stuck rarely lifts all at once. It lifts slowly, in small but transformational steps.
Thank you for being here for this first part. Stay tuned for part two.
With gratitude,
Cristal
Founder, Clahrity | getclahrity.com