When was the last time you allowed yourself the time to explore what career success means to you?
Have you been told this is the formula to follow?
Get a job + Work hard = Career Success.
There are times when this formula does produce the desired career success outcome. But, what do you do when this formula does not result in the hoped for outcome?
This is where the CGB System can be used to find new possibilities for working towards the career success of your dreams.
The driving force behind the Career Growth Basics System is the use of self-reflection about basic skills and habits to evaluate how CGB tools can be used to get out of a career rut.
To find new paths to the life you dream about, let’s first look at what success looks like to you.
What is your answer to these two questions?
1.What is success?
2.What does success mean to you?
I said we'd start with the basics. I like to start with Webster’s Dictionary to give my brain a start to thinking about what a word means to me. Here is how the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines success:
“Favorable or desired outcome.”
It's simple. It's straightforward.
But, what I really like about this is that it gives me the opportunity to decide the look and feel of the "favorable or desired outcome"!
The Indeed Editorial Team elaborates on this with this definition of success:
“Success is when you
reach your aim or purpose.”
How do you define success?
What does success mean to you?
How will you know when you have achieved your success?
To help answer these questions, let’s take a look at how success is obtained.
Two factors to consider when thinking about how to achieve success are:
1.Internal factors of success include:
· Motivation
· Discipline
· Work Ethics
· Value System
· Responsibility
· Self-Reliance
· Creativity
· Emotional Awareness
· Patience
· Growth Mindset
· Clarity of Purpose
Each factor on this list can be strengthened as needed to support a career growth plan. This list is easily expanded or contracted to fit personal needs.
Which of these factors would you include on your list of strengths and abilities?
Mark Cuban says in an article in Finance Yahoo that he believes effort is the most valuable characteristic for achieving success.
Is effort on your list of internal factors that influence success?
2.External factors of success include:
· Career prospects
· Work-life balance
· Competition
· Politics
· Technology
· Family responsibilities
· Cultural norms
· Salary structure
· Educational costs
· Educational levels
· Educational requirements
· The Economy
· Climate
· Health
· Pandemic
· Market trends
· Job Location
· Company culture
· Social culture
· Money
This list, too, can be expanded or contracted.
Which of these factors are on your list of external factors that play a major role in your path to how you can achieve success?
Now, let’s think about the meaning of career.
What is your answer to these two questions?
1. What is a career?
2. What does a career mean to you?
To start with the basics, Webster’s Dictionary defines career as:
“ a field for or pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement especially in public, professional, or business life.”
Is this how you view a career?
Or is your perspective more like Webster’s definition of a job:
“a regular remunerative position.”
Personally, I like looking at my career as a regular pursuit of activities I enjoy that result in remuneration. The meaning that my career brings into my life is personal and professional growth and satisfaction as a result of following curiosity to explore new possibilities.
My career is part of my life; but it is not the only aspect of my life.
What is your definition of a career and what meaning does it add to your life?
Benefits of understanding what career success means to you include:
1.Gain clarity about what career to pursue.
2.Highlights personal strengths and abilities.
3.Develop understanding about how strengths can be used in a career progress plan.
4.Expand understanding about how abilities can be used in a career progress plan.
5.Begin exploring new possibilities.
6.Realize that there are steps that can be taken to reach the career of your dreams.
Review the CGB Origin Story on the Home Page to read about how CGB can result in career success.
To continue work on Section One of Career Growth Basics go to the DESIGN IT GUIDE AND CREATE IT GUIDES ASSESSMENTS for CAREER SUCCESS.
This is where you will begin work on designing your progress plan for moving out of your career rut.
Download a free copy of the CAREER GROWTH BASICS NOTEBOOK to record your answers to the questions in the Career Success Guide Assessments.
Live in the possibilities.
Best,
Andrea
P.S. Stay current with Career Growth Basics updates. Join the CGB News Cats.😎
Alphabetical listing of referenced sources
Indeed
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/define-success
12/2023
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/career
12/2023
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/job
12/2023
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/success
12/2023
Yahoo Finance
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mark-cuban-says-good-not-091928571.html
12/2023