Welcome to the Stop Sabotaging Your Success podcast, episode twenty-five. I’m your host, Cindy Esliger. This is the podcast focusing on what we can do today to take control of our careers and overcome the inevitable barriers to success that we encounter along the way. 

We all have things that we’ve been wanting to do. Perhaps we’ve been thinking about doing that thing for months, maybe even years. You know what it is and why you want it. And sometimes we get stuck because we’re not sure how we’ll get it done or where we’ll find the time in our already busy lives. Sometimes that’s enough to have us postponing our dreams for next year, or just someday. 

In this episode, we’re going to explore why we aren’t doing the things we said we’d do. It’s not just you. We all go through a similar process when we’re trying to make a change or start something new. The initial excitement gets us started, but quickly wears off, as we realize that this is going to be a lot of work. This is when most people quit. 

But you’re not like most people. Knowing that we’re going to question why we ever started in the first place can help us stay on track and get us to the finish line.

You are ready. You know what you want. You can see it clearly. You’ve been thinking about it for a long time. You know what it is and why you want it. You might not know exactly how you’ll get it done, but you do know it’s possible, because it’s been done by others. And maybe you’re doubting whether it can be done by you, in the way you want to do it.

We’re inundated with thousands of options. There’s just so much information, which leaves us confused and wondering where to start. So we go back to our safe place on the sidelines. Wondering if we really want to take such a significant risk, not to mention the struggle to find the time and the energy to put in the work. That part is even harder.

We’re not sure where to start or even what resources we might need along the way. We get distracted thinking that there must be a step-by-step plan out there with templates and to do lists. We’re hoping that someone else has done all that thinking for us. So we spend the time doing the research and that feels productive, but we find nothing that seems to directly address our concerns.

That plan is just not working. So maybe we should wait. It’s definitely an option to postpone getting started until next quarter, maybe even next year. This goes on in an endless loop. Then you’re beginning to wonder if you’ll ever do it. 

This story is far too common. I’ve heard from so many frustrated, disappointed professionals who know that they are the best at what they do, but struggle with demonstrating their capabilities and getting noticed by the gatekeepers. 

It’s all about elevating your life and putting in the work to achieve your goals. So stop putting it off. Stop seeing it as some hassle in the calendar that you just keep pushing off until tomorrow or next week. Stop letting your own life and desires take a back seat to people pleasing and worrying what they might think. Who are they anyway? And why do they matter? That approach is doomed to misery. Putting it off is putting off your own growth in favor of pleasing someone else. 

It’s all about you and respecting yourself and your time. Chronic procrastination on your big dreams should be a major wake up call for you. And it’s a bigger deal than it looks like. Discover where else you’re putting your fear of other people’s opinions ahead of your own wellbeing and growth. Why are you scrambling all week long to do everything that everyone else wants, while you’re running yourself into the ground? 

It’s time for a major turnaround in how you see yourself. Create an action plan. This involves discovering your core values and what it is you really care about. Creating an action plan will help you achieve extraordinary results and help you take what you’re doing to the next level.

It’s time to learn to leverage your strengths to achieve your goals, learn what it means to have a healthy, positive relationship with your goals and identify the next habit you want to form that will make what you want a reality sooner, and with less effort. Productivity is more complex than just getting things done. There are key strategies you’ll need to overcome the inevitable obstacles in your path and gain insight into what you’re missing, and what’s holding you back. 

It’s a waste of time feeling stuck like this, thinking that you need to work harder and longer. Maybe it has never occurred to you that it could be the thoughts that you’re thinking that are limiting what you believe is possible for you. You have access to everything you need to grow and be intentional about your life, so that you don’t have any regrets.

So why not you? We all experience moments of self doubt and uncertainty. Are you living the life you want? Are you pursuing your goals? Even the most successful, confident people have moments when they ask themselves these questions. Especially nowadays, when it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important. 

For most of our day, we run on autopilot while we tackle our daily tasks and fulfill our responsibilities and obligations to others. Sometimes the only thing that helps is to hit the pause button and take a deep breath and evaluate where we are and where we want to be. What are my dreams, goals, and aspirations? What truly matters to me in my life? How can I live a truly fulfilled life and reach my potential? It’s not easy to find concrete answers to these questions.

It’s time to start building your toolkit to help you evaluate where you are and where you want to be, and do what needs to be done to bridge that gap. To connect with yourself and make positive and sustainable changes in your life. To discover your strengths and your weaknesses, and to identify your desires and your true ambitions, while raising your awareness and boosting your self-worth and self-confidence. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to reach your full potential and live your priorities, while finding new motivation and joy in your life? These are the must haves, that you want to empower yourself to take action and create a life you love. 

When we think about our goals, sometimes it feels like a combination of excitement and nervousness, mixed with a bit of helplessness, confusion, and overwhelm. Like being strapped into a rollercoaster, headed up to the top of the hill. Even if you make plans, you might never think you’re really ready for what’s coming. 

That’s the same with any growth. You can’t be ready for it because it’s going to be new. And it’s going to demand new things from you. And you’re going to become a new person. If you’re waiting to be ready for it, you’re never going to start. So start before you feel ready. 

By definition, growth must be something that makes you feel unprepared and uncertain. If it was comfortable and easy, it wouldn’t challenge you. It would be normal. It would be who you are already. There will never be a perfect time to do something that stretches you. 

Regardless whether you’re preparing for your next role, or changing careers, or maybe you’re wrestling with any number of challenging goals. It’s not about being reckless or proceeding without thinking things through. But at some point, you have to embrace the uncertainty because it’s the only path forward. You’ll never be ready for growth. All you can do is step into it with everything you’ve got. 

You can’t just say that you’ll feel the fear and do it anyway, you have to live that way. Everyone else will come up with good reasons why the time isn’t right. You have to be the one who just gets started and trust that you’ll figure it out as you go along. 

Stop procrastinating. Stop waiting until you’ve got the whole plan figured out. Take that first step, even if it seems outlandish or impossible that you’ll ever get to where you’re hoping to get. 

Successful people start before they’re ready, and you should too. We may not feel qualified or prepared to start anything, but by sitting back and waiting to be ready, you’re not going to get more qualified or more prepared. The only way is to actually try it and learn as you go.

The initial excitement will push you along, but you will stumble in confusion at times, but keep going. You’re bound to feel uncertain, unprepared, and unqualified. Let me assure you, you have what it takes. What you have right now is enough. You can plan, delay, and revise all you want, but just don’t let it pass you by or slip through your fingers.

It doesn’t matter what your particular goal is, who you are, what you have, and what you know right now is enough to get going. We all start in the same place with not enough time, or resources, not the right contacts, and certainly no experience. The difference is that we can choose to start anyway. So start before you feel ready. 

What’s next for you? Are you doing your job faithfully every day? Maybe you even do it exceptionally well. Yet, you’ve been in the same position for a while now, while others, seemingly less deserving, have been promoted around you. Because it isn’t just doing what you’ve been paid to do, and it’s not necessarily about being the best technically. 

To be eligible for promotion is about pushing the limits of your current position. It’s about showing that you have outgrown your current responsibilities and demonstrating that you’re ready to take on new ones, and doing it whenever possible. If you’re busy working away, getting more done than anyone else, why would they promote you? Clearly, your value to the company is your efficiency. If they promoted you, their production output might actually fall. 

Focusing simply on what’s expected of you, may be a great strategy to keep the job you have, so you have to start thinking about going beyond what’s expected. And stretching yourself beyond your current role, to what will lead to a new job with more responsibility. I’m not saying that you need to stop being effective at what you’re doing, exactly the opposite. In pursuit of a promotion, you still need to perform well and meet your current job requirements.

The key is in identifying ways to add more value and contribute in other ways. Solving problems moves things forward. Uncover ways to get more involved in finding those solutions. That just might help you move forward too. 

First, you have to prove that you’re capable of handling the increased responsibilities. That might seem counterintuitive, but you have to demonstrate your readiness before you’ll be recognized.

Here are six ways to improve your capabilities. 

Number one, complete your work thoroughly and with as little supervision as possible, showing that you can work well as part of a team, while also demonstrating individual competence. 

Number two, when asking questions come prepared with solutions as well. This shows that you are forward-thinking and a problem solver. 

Number three, expand your skillset. Determine what it is you need to learn in order to add more value in your current position, as well as what’s needed for the new role that you want. And make a plan to acquire those skills in the immediate future. 

Number four, find opportunities to continue your learning and education. Staying current in your field is getting harder all the time with the pace of change in every industry.

Number five, become aware of the economic and business pressures facing your organization. Have an understanding of what others are dealing with and investigate the root causes of some inefficiencies or problem areas that you’re aware of. 

And number six, use good judgment when carrying out your responsibilities. Understanding how your role impacts the company as a whole and see where incremental improvements could start making a difference to the bottom line results.

Seek out opportunities to do more. Look for opportunities to lead projects and practice your leadership skills. Demonstrate your ability by taking on new responsibilities, while still doing everything that’s expected of you. Volunteer to take on new projects or other responsibilities where you can learn and practice your skills, maybe that’s covering a coworker’s responsibilities while they’re on vacation. 

Identify where you could delegate your own work, which could free up some time and allow you to practice supervising other people’s work, as well as groom them to do what you’re currently doing. Offer to take on tasks that you know your boss dislikes or find a challenge with, to expand your range of experience and make their job easier. Get creative, be innovative. 

In preparing for promotions, always be thinking about how to do things better. That’s the defining characteristic of a leader. Find ways to do things cheaper, faster, with less wasted time. 

Demonstrate your critical thinking when you report to your boss. Don’t just accept things as they are, think about how you would like to improve them. But don’t get lost in the details. Understand the big picture and incorporate that into your decision and solutions. 

Innovation isn’t always about improving things that already exist. It’s often about adding something of value as well, or even eliminating steps that don’t need to be done. 

Put your ideas forward. Even if you aren’t sure of the response you’ll get. It demonstrates both your imagination and your willingness to take risks. Be prepared for your ideas to not be accepted, and don’t take it personally. By showing that you’re interested in improving organizational performance, and that you can come up with some original ideas, will set the stage for new opportunities. 

Set promotion goals. You will need to work proactively to make a promotion happen. You can’t rely on someone else to always be looking out for you, otherwise you’ll probably end up disappointed. 

Identify your career goals within your organization and talk to people who hold the kinds of positions and levels of authority that you ultimately want. Find out what they did to get where they are. Learn from their experiences. Then evaluate your strengths and set goals to learn the skills you need for success. What got you to where you are may not be what you need to move forward. 

Take note of your internal competition. There are always others in your company who may want the same position you want. So work hard to distinguish yourself and make yourself stand out. Look for a mentor within your organization, someone who you can talk to who might champion your ideas. Set your goal, ask for their advice, and definitely follow through. 

When you run into obstacles, find ways to work around them. A positive attitude can go a long way towards reaching your goals and getting noticed. It’s a way to demonstrate your ability to inspire and motivate others.

Your efforts might be met with appreciation, but maybe not. Nothing will guarantee a promotion, but it’s still important to communicate your desire. Let people know what you want, and then proactively work towards achieving it. 

Improve your knowledge of your organization. Find out what experience and skills are needed to get that job, and start doing that job whenever you can. Set performance objectives directly related to those skills and experience. 

Network with people within the company. And let the trustworthy people know what type of role interests you. Take advice on how to prepare for that role. 

And be sure to ask for that promotion when it becomes available. This is key. Stop waiting for an invitation. Go after what you want. Put yourself in contention and be willing to compete. 

As you execute your promotion plan, let others who have influence over the decision know what you’re doing. You have to be your own best champion. Preparing for promotion is no time to be quiet and shy. You need many people to know what you’re capable of and what you want.

Earning a promotion is partly within your control. Simply doing what’s expected of you, even if you’re the best at what you do, are not guarantees of advancement. Do the work to prepare for promotion by increasing your value to the organization and your visibility. 

Be strategic and intentional about the type of value opportunities you accept. Understand what drives your company’s success and what gets rewarded. And try to take on more of those responsibilities. Expand your skillset to include the core leadership skills. 

You need to be proactive in creating the path to the position that you want. You may not feel ready, but move forward anyway. You have a goal and use your excitement, and your fear, to carry you forward. You’ll never be ready. You’ll never be fully prepared. The conditions will never be perfect. You’ll always feel uncertain about what you’re doing and what the final outcome will be. You just have to start putting your plan into motion. 

Waiting until you’re ready is a form of self-sabotage. It’s an excuse to quit when you’re behind, because you’ve never put yourself on the line. Be bold and take action. There will always be new situations and unexpected moments that you won’t be ready for. You may still feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, but don’t let that stop you. 

So I ask you, if not now, when? 

And that’s it for this episode of Stop Sabotaging Your Success. Remember to download your Guide for Committing To It at cindyesliger.com/podcast, episode twenty-five. 

Thank you to our producer, Alex Hochhausen and everyone at Astronomic Audio. Get in touch. I’m on Instagram @cindyesliger and my email address is info@cindyesliger.com. And if you liked the show, please tell a friend, subscribe, rate, and review. 

Until next week, I’m Cindy Esliger. Thank you for joining me.