We all have unhealthy habits and behaviors that can derail our careers and stunt opportunities for growth. Sometimes, you may not notice these behaviors are making it difficult for you to get ahead in your career. Previously, we wrote an article looking at two behaviors that can put a halt on your career without realizing it. However, there are less tangible factors that can prove to be a roadblock to your success and it is imperative you are aware and face them head-on. Here are some mental barriers you must tear down to be successful.
Lack of Knowledge On The Basics
If you build a house on top of a weak foundation, it will eventually fall apart. This analogy is applicable to our professional lives as well. If you do not take time to build a strong foundation on the basics of your industry, it can impede you from advancing in your company. For this reason, it is vital to learn and, at times, re-learn the basics. You should feel no shame hitting the books to refresh your knowledge on basic principles. In fact, doing so often proves you are committed to your craft and are willing to invest your time in honing it.
One of the major building blocks for a successful career is having clear and specific goals in place. Without that, you are likely to suffer from a lack of motivation with no direction in your career. Dr. Edwin Locke discussed this in his 1968 titled “Toward A Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives.” In the article, he explained that employees were more motivated when they had clear objectives and specific feedback. These clear goals gave them the drive to reach their intended end result and improved their overall performance.
Caring Too Much About What Others Think
Aristotle said, “there is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” We touched upon this notion in our previous blog, but being a “people pleaser” is certainly a factor than hold you back in your career. No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to please everyone. While you should always put your best foot forward and respect others’ opinions, you should not let those opinions affect your every move. Doing so will cause to act from a place of fear which will do you no favors in your effort to achieve greatness.