Don’t sabotage your career

If you were to look around you, a number of people will come to your notice – people who have always dreamt big, aspired for more and invariably attained whatever they sought. Such people have certain key attributes and indulge in actions that particularly open up the doors of success for them. At the other end of the spectrum would be people who are self-sabotaging and fail to achieve any success.  

You may have lofty professional objectives, but unless you embark upon the correct path, you will not attain any of them. Given below are six actions that will help you shape your professional image and elicit all encouragement when the going gets tough:

· Be sure & have well-defined aims:  This is an inescapable requirement to do well in life. You should be cloudless about what precisely you seek and what is relevant to you; and be willing to sacrifice everything for them. People fail in their careers because they are unable to fill in the blanks as related to their flair and urges in their efforts to find a correct career. They are unable to work hard to discern the contributory factors of their botches. Remember that if you are cognizant, you have more options at your disposal. All successful people remain unswerving in all their actions, including emulative ones. If you dispel all doubts and feel self-assured, countless windows of opportunities will open up for you and you will be able to clutch those that guarantee progress.

· Convert nervousness into motivation:  You should learn to do so as feelings of fear, persecution and helplessness are detrimental to your career interests. It is essential that you learn to display your capabilities and shoulder responsibilities; and take every development, good or bad in the correct stride. In fact, that is how you learn to move ahead. At your workplace, there will be a horde of influences on you and your performance and you should take them as learning experiences. In case you fail to do so and instead give up or take the path of confrontation, you will in no way benefit and success will always elude you. You have to discover ways and means to convert your desperation into an impelling force for change and progress.

· Put into effect your limits & cut-off point:  When you are clear about what you seek, you have to be robust and sturdy to safeguard your limits, respect your precedence and make the essentials of progress known. There are many people who know what they stand for and seek in life, but when it comes to taking initiative or a step forward, they buckle. The reasons for buckling could be diverse, but the fact is that you need to subdue your anxiety and self-doubt so that you are able to emerge solid and resilient enough to uphold your requirements and if necessary, demand them.

· Remain fully dedicated:  You should be like a tree that faces the storm but does not shake with it. You can always create positive circumstances for yourself even when everybody around you doubt you. Well, that calls for being venturesome but does not imply not making an allowance for such misgivings. You should view things in the correct perspective and apply mid-term corrections where necessary, soliciting assistance when indispensable. In other words, you pledge yourself to your objectives with no strings attached but concurrently displaying flexibility of approach. It is a well-known fact that people who are aware of their weaknesses and strive to overcome them invariably thrive in their careers and life alike. 

· Practise good communication skills:  Your written and spoken abilities have to be charismatic. You should know how to talk about your ventures and their outcomes so that others can take it as an example. You should know the reasons behind your actions and this will help you in drawing people close to you. In addition, you also need to support and encourage others; your supportive actions will project you in the correct light and boost your image.  

· Learn to work in a social environment:  You simply cannot exist or work in a void. You have to make efforts to build good associations that are long-lasting. Man is a gregarious animal and hence you need to understand the need to help and engage others to be successful. And you can do so if you share common principles and enjoy the confidence of others. It is important that you do not move around with airs about yourself or encourage sycophancy in any form. Any attempt to exert your authority in a negative manner will never pay you dividends.

It is not that career success cannot come to you otherwise, but then your career path will be full of distressing potholes and deviations. And when you eventually reach the endpoint, you will still be unsatisfied and disoriented.