Welcome to the Stop Sabotaging Your Success Podcast, episode eighty-seven. 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. 

Have you considered the idea that climbing the corporate ladder may not lead to your career fulfillment or happiness? Perhaps you’re beginning to wonder whether the traditional path to success in the workplace, which involves constantly striving for higher positions, more responsibility, and greater compensation is actually the best fit for you. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness that climbing the corporate ladder is not the only path to career success, and that there may be other ways to achieve fulfillment and satisfaction in your professional life. 

In this episode, we explore the question of whether you’re on the right career path. Maybe following that old script for success has you feeling trapped in a career that doesn’t fulfill you. When you define success for yourself, you are less likely to be swayed by external pressures or societal norms, and you can focus on achieving your own goals and objectives. 

It’s essential to remember that success is subjective and can be defined in many different ways. It’s up to each person to determine what success means to them and to work towards achieving their own desires. There is no one right way to achieve career success, but you’re going to have to be prepared to take some risks, step outside of your comfort zone, and be open to trying something new. 

Climbing the corporate ladder may not be the right path for everyone, but it’s essential to question whether you’re on the right career path by defining success for yourself. By doing so, you can ensure that you’re pursuing a career that aligns with your values, interests, and aspirations, and that brings you true fulfillment and happiness. 

Creating a fulfilling career involves three key steps: 

1. Define success for yourself
2. Assess your current situation
3. Create a plan for success

Step 1: Define success for yourself

This step involves taking the time to reflect on what success means to you. It’s important to consider your values, interests, strengths, and goals when defining your success criteria. By creating your own definition, you can ensure that you’re working towards achieving your own objectives rather than simply following someone else’s expectations. 

Understanding what success means to you is crucial because it helps you to create a meaningful and fulfilling life. Without a clear definition, it’s easy to become lost in the pursuit of external measures of achievement, such as money or status, without ever feeling truly satisfied. 

By taking the time to determine what success means for you, you’ll gain an understanding of your work ethic, professional aspirations, motivation, and personal drivers. It can also help you determine whether your personality is compatible with your company’s culture. You can then focus on what truly matters to you and pursue a career and life that are in better alignment with that, even if that means realizing that where you’re at isn’t the best fit for you. 

You might decide that success for you is having the ability to do your job effectively while working with smart people who challenge you, being recognized as an individual who consistently performs at their best while striving to achieve their goals. It may include having the ability to continue learning and achieving since you find new, complex challenges personally and professionally invigorating. 

We all evaluate success differently depending on our values, ambitions, and life experiences. 

Here are three tips for identifying your values and priorities, which can shed some light on what success means to you: 

1. Reflect on your past experiences: Look back at your life and identify the moments where you felt most satisfied and content. Think about the activities and experiences that brought you the most joy and fulfillment. 
2. Consider how you want to be spending your time: Think about the things that you want to achieve in your life and career. What motivates you? What do you want to do more of?
3. Pay attention to your emotions: Notice how you feel in different situations. Pay attention to the activities and experiences that bring you the most joy, as well as those that cause you stress and make you feel the most uncomfortable. 

Identifying your values and priorities is essential for creating a fulfilling career. These are personal and not a one-size-fits-all kind of a thing. By reflecting on your past experiences, considering how you want to be spending your time, and paying attention to your emotions, you can gain insight into what truly matters to you and align how you’re spending your time accordingly. 

Step 2: Assess your current situation

Once you have defined success for yourself, it’s important to assess your current situation by taking a critical look at your current job or career path and determining whether it aligns with your success criteria. It may be helpful to evaluate factors such as job satisfaction, the work environment, your professional work relationships, level of compensation, and opportunities for professional growth and development, as well as how it aligns with your tolerance for uncertainty. 

Take a critical look at your current job, lifestyle, and relationships. Ask yourself whether they align with your values and priorities. Are you spending your time and energy on the things that matter most to you? If not, consider making changes to bring your life more in line with your values. When your career is more aligned, you’re more likely to feel motivated, engaged, and fulfilled. On the other hand, when your career conflicts with your values, you may feel stressed or even burned out, and who wants that? 

It might help to think back on a specific situation in which you felt you were successful. Focus on the actions you took to complete that task as well as your results. Try to identify the characteristics you believe helped make you successful. Assess whether you have access to the tools and resources needed to create a plan to achieve similar success in your current role. Also, consider whether there would be an opportunity for you to take on more responsibilities at a higher level.

Take the time to identify your core values, then assess whether your current job aligns with them. It’s a little unrealistic to expect that your job will check all the boxes, but there may be ways in which you can make your job more suited to what matters most to you. If not, consider looking for a new role within your organization or transitioning into a new opportunity that better aligns with those personal values.

Even if your job doesn’t align perfectly with your values, you can still find purpose and meaning in your work. Look for ways to make a positive impact on others, whether it’s through volunteering, mentoring, collaborating with colleagues, or simply providing excellent service to your clients. 

Pursue your curiosities. If you have a desire to learn more in an area of interest that you’ve been neglecting because of your current responsibilities, consider finding ways to incorporate it into your work while still maintaining your level of performance. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes adding more to your plate can actually make you feel more energized when it’s more of the right thing. 

Negotiate for what you need. If your job doesn’t align with your values in terms of work-life balance or other important factors, consider negotiating with your employer to create a more suitable work arrangement. For example, you might request a flexible schedule that includes the option of remote work to reclaim some of your commuting time. 

Here are four tips for assessing your current situation: 

1. Evaluate your job satisfaction: Take some time to reflect on how satisfied you are with your current job. Consider the aspects of your job that you enjoy as well as those you find challenging or frustrating. If you find that you are consistently dissatisfied with your job, it may be time to consider making a change. 
2. Identify areas for growth: Look for opportunities to grow and develop in your current job. Consider whether these are skills or knowledge gaps that you need to address in order to advance in your career. Identify ways that you can challenge yourself and take on new responsibilities. This can help you stay engaged and motivated in your work. 
3. Seek feedback: Ask for feedback regularly from your colleagues, supervisor, or other trusted individuals who have your best interests at heart. There’s no need to wait until your annual performance review comes around. This will help you gain insight into your strengths and areas for improvement. It can also help you identify areas where you may need to make changes in order to better align your work with what you do best and enjoy doing the most.
4. Consider your work-life balance: Track how you are actually spending your time and assess whether it aligns with how you want to be spending your time. Are you making time for your hobbies, family, or other important aspects of your life? Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed or possibly on the brink of burnout? If so, consider making changes to create a more sustainable balance in all aspects of your life.

Step 3: Create a plan for success 

Based on your definition of success and your assessment of your current situation, you can then create an action plan for moving forward. This plan should include specific goals and objectives, as well as actionable steps you will take in order to achieve them. Do your best to anticipate potential obstacles and develop strategies you could use to overcome them. By creating a plan for success, you can ensure that you are working towards achieving a fulfilling career that aligns with your values and aspirations. 

Creating a plan for achieving what you truly desire in your career is crucial for turning your aspirations into reality. Without a clear plan, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or directionless, making it difficult to take the steps necessary to feel like you’re moving forward.

A clear plan provides focus and direction, helping you prioritize your efforts, and work towards your goals in a structured way. It can help you break down your goals into smaller, more manageable steps, making them less daunting and more likely that you will perform to your full potential. 

Identifying your short-term goals is a way of preparing yourself to take on additional responsibilities, either within your current role or as an entry point for a prospective new role within your organization or elsewhere. Maybe you want to work within your current job description to create a role that’s more suited to your strengths in order to showcase your leadership potential. Perhaps you’re starting to feel bored and complacent because your current job no longer challenges you, and you need something to help you increase your engagement. 

Where do you want to be 10 years from now? Maybe you see yourself as an individual contributor or maybe you have aspirations of moving up the ranks of management. With a plan in place, it’s easier to track your progress in achieving what it is you want without the distractions of what everyone else thinks you should do, and it gives you an opportunity to celebrate your successes along the way. This can help boost your confidence and keep you motivated as you work towards those longer-term goals. 

When you have a clear plan in place, you are more likely to feel confident and committed to contributing to your company’s long-term success as well as your own. Having a roadmap that outlines the steps you need to take can help you stay on track, even when faced with roadblocks or setbacks. 

Here are three tips for creating that roadmap: 

1. Make your goals specific: Clarify exactly what it is you want to achieve. This will help you focus your efforts and create a step-by-step plan for achieving those goals. 
2. Set realistic deadlines: Things always tend to take longer than we’d like, and unrealistic deadlines for achieving your goals can backfire on you. Instead, focus on timelines that are challenging but achievable. This will help you stay motivated and on track as you put in the work necessary to get where it is you want to go. 
3. Be flexible and adjust as needed: Expect life to derail your plans. Do what you can to anticipate the obstacles and how you’ll respond when they happen. Be flexible and willing to adjust your goals and deadlines as needed. This will help you stay focused and continue making progress even if things don’t go exactly as planned. And really, do they ever? 

Many people are afraid to take risks or pursue their dreams because of their fear of failure. However, failure is a necessary part of the learning process and can lead to growth and success in the long run. So, reframe those negative thoughts and focus on the potential benefits of taking risks. Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage and motivate you to take on new challenges. 

A lack of confidence can sometimes hold people back from achieving their career goals. When people don’t believe in themselves, they may hesitate to take action or pursue opportunities that could lead to success. So, challenge that negative self-talk and focus on your strengths. Use your past accomplishments as proof of just how capable you are. 

It’s important to approach this process of creating a fulfilling career for yourself with an open mind. Rather than viewing success as a fixed endpoint, it can be helpful to see it as a dynamic, evolving, and never-ending process of learning, growth, and self-discovery. Enjoy the journey rather than simply enduring what it takes to get to your desired destination. This means being open to new experiences and opportunities, seeking out feedback and constructive criticism, and embracing challenges and setbacks as opportunities. 

Success is personal and subjective. It’s important to define success for yourself and not simply rely on societal or cultural norms that just might not fit what it is you see for yourself in the future. Identifying your values and priorities can help you identify what’s most important for you in terms of achieving success on your own terms. 

Take ownership of your career. Stop relying solely on others to guide you. Take responsibility for your own development and growth. Be proactive in seeking opportunities, building relationships, and acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge to take you where you want to go.

Having a plan for achieving success in your career is important, but remember to be flexible and adaptable. Circumstances may change and your priorities may shift over time. Continually reassessing and adjusting your plan can help you stay on track and achieve long-term success and fulfillment, whatever you decide that means. 

It’s about taking ownership of what matters most and not climbing the corporate ladder simply for the sake of it. Because achievement without a clear sense of purpose or direction can lead to a lack of fulfillment and feeling stuck in a career that isn’t aligned with what you believe is possible for you. 

Define what success means to you. Take stock of where you are now and how that relates to where you want to be, and then create a plan for making that happen. Be sure you are climbing the right ladder before you get too far and start feeling trapped by some misguided ambition that doesn’t align with what you really want out of life.

And that’s it for this episode of Stop Sabotaging Your Success. Remember to download your Guide to Defining Success For Yourself at cindyesliger.com/podcast, episode eighty-seven.

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.

If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you have to come check out The Confidence Collective. It’s my monthly coaching program where we dig a little deeper into what’s holding you back in your career, and we find the workarounds. We help you overcome the barriers and create the career you want. Join me over at cindyesliger.com/join. I’d love to have you join me in The Confidence Collective. 

Until next week, I’m Cindy Esliger. Thanks for listening.