3 Ways to Empower Your Career

​Summer reading is such a great way to travel away from day-to-day life without moving an inch.
 
And it is a phenomenal way to explore, find new ideas and test new ways of thinking with zero risk to your career. So, when I came across this quote in my summer reading it took me a moment to take it all in:

You will never get any more out of life then you expect” – Bruce Lee

It’s a powerful quote that really spoke to me – was I empowering myself, or limiting myself by what I expected of myself and others?
 
How do you shape your own expectations?
 
This is a very important thing to contemplate, because at its heart is how you empower yourself.
 
I’ve been a planner all my life, but I hadn’t been setting life or career goals until I realized I had about 20 years of working life left – 20 years that could either be a painful slog, or a way to make a meaningful difference through my profession.
 
Which one appeals to you the most?
 
Is it time to listen to your soul?  Take those longings you have and see what’s possible in your career?
 
What do you expect of yourself?  And how can you use those expectations to empower yourself, rather than judge yourself?
 
Here are the first steps towards your career empowerment:
 
You need 2 kinds of goals:  empowerment happens in the present moment but needs guidance from a bigger vision or plan.  Career empowerment needs 2 kinds of goals, short term (the present) and long term (the future, bigger vision).  

• Start with the longer-term vision, set a timeframe (in my example I used 20 years) and decide where you want to be AND why that’s important to your life and career.  This doesn’t have to be elaborate, just a clear call to move in the direction you want to go.  
• Then, figure out what the steps are to get you there, which become your short-term goals.  
• This sounds practical and easy, but it’s not always so, particularly if you have a little voice inside of you saying you want too much or are reaching too far…respectfully tell that voice to shut up.

 
Start where you are:  So often we see the flaw and lack in ourselves, the things that hold us back.  Stop.  

• Look at all the things you are today that pull you forward.  You need to begin where you are, not wait for the “perfect” anything.  Whatever small step seems right to you is exactly the right step to make.  
• Set and meet your own expectations, but do it responsibly in ways that set you up for long-term success, allowing for failure, learning and practice to kick in.

 
Hold yourself accountable:  Longings and dreams can be intimidating, but that’s what makes them worth it (if this were easy to do you would have done it by now).  

• Yes, you are worthy of achieving your long-term goals, desires …dreams.  Yes, you can do this.  But you need to keep faith in yourself and the only way to do that is to continue to hold yourself accountable to your long-term goals.
• Be flexible.  Approaching anything with rigidity is a recipe for failure – your plan may not go as planned but accountability means it is worth it to create a new plan that reflects what you are learning as you go.

 
“You will never get any more out of life then you expect.” (Bruce Lee) that’s the quote.  Most of us never get to the point where we sit down and reflect on what we expect of ourselves and our careers.  Our one precious life.
 
You don’t have to cure cancer or create world peace.  Saving for retirement, raising great kids, paying off a mortgage are amazing ways to make a difference in your life and community. So is making sure you enjoy your life along the way.
 
Have this conversation with yourself.  What do you expect from your life? Set the bar someplace amazing and meaningful for you.
 
From now until retirement I’m getting out of bed every morning to help people increase their personal power at work, so they can love their working life.  Not only do I know that’s possible, but it’s also the very definition of a dream career.  
 
What do you expect from your career?

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