We are What we Plan to Be!

Putting ourselves and our needs first can be a difficult thing to do when other pressures rear their heads.  Planning to achieve a personal goal is so important to ensure the wellbeing of who we are, and how we see ourselves, remembering that we as individuals are people too.

We need to pursue what we believe is possible, because if you think about it anything is possible, if we have the inclination and determination to make it happen.  Whether in our personal lives or our career, we are what we plan to be. How we see ourselves can either build us up or tear us down, the choice is ours.

As Tony Robbins said, “the purpose of a goal is to grow”.  I am sure you would agree that without growth we stagnate and never reach the fulfillment we seek, which would be a shame as life really is for living.

It is unfortunate to note then a recent study by Career Builder stated that a whopping 58% of Managers said they didn’t receive any management training.  They were promoted because they were good at what they did and were not necessarily good at making the people around them better.  This equated to employee engagement being at a low ebb, with nearly 70% of employees actively ‘disengaged’

This is not good news for any up-and-coming Executive Assistant ’s career, as it can be dependent on their Managers ability to manage them appropriately, which can result in the difficulty of achieving the higher echelons of a professional career. 

Staff can only be as good as their manager allows them to be.  Profound? Yes, I believe it is. When a manager doesn’t see an employee’s potential, their progress can be stymied, and it won’t be long before that person is looking for ‘greener pastures’.

​This situation will cause the ongoing ‘health’ of an organisation to divebomb as talented staff look to find better career options elsewhere, taking their wealth of experience with them.  

It would be easy to coast through a career, not really knowing what we want to achieve, but it is not until we experience adversity in our lives that we start to realise what is really important to us, as time becomes our enemy.

My own adversity came to light when I was 48 years old, and  advised I needed emergency heart surgery, which would necessitate taking three months off work.  This was extremely inconvenient as I had just been appointed to a position that I had aspired to for some time.  My first reaction was that I didn’t have time for this!  As it happened, I didn’t have time NOT to undergo the operation, as my Mitral heart valve was so badly damaged that it only had about 6 months ‘life’ left on the clock.  It was consequently replaced.

Talk to anyone and they will relate some period in their life where adversity has affected them in some way, however more to the point is how they have ‘worked through’ the difficulties and ultimately achieved momentum to move on.

Tony’s message “the purpose of a goal is to grow”, is certainly significant.  We can choose to sit back and allow life to take over, or we can take hold it with both hands and squeeze everything possible out of it, and in so doing enhance our potential for living a life on purpose. 

People often complain about the lack of time when the lack of direction is the real problem. (Author unknown).

My message is not to let outside circumstance circumvent your own true potential, whether that be Managers who don’t understand what it takes to assist people to be successful, or adversity that can strike at any time to take you ‘off track’ from time to time. 

It is up to everyone to continue to pursue what is important.  The goal may be different, but persistence pays.  You may need to take a different pathway for a time, but with the ultimate goal in sight, will bring you back on track as and when that becomes possible.

Make sure you take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves, don’t overlook the potential of a new idea, another way of thinking, as you just never know where this may take you.

Life is like a piece of string you never know how long it is, so the trick is not to waste it sitting in a role where we no longer have an interest.  Where the potential for advancement is limited, and it doesn’t ‘rock your boat’ every day you are there.

However, you might also want to think about having a conversation with your Manager before making the decision to move on, as they may not understand your career aspirations, and may even be able to assist you to meet your immediate career needs.  You just never know what may transpire.

One word of warning never leave one position, until you have the new contract signed.  In other words, don’t burn your bridges.  It is pointless making a rash decision which may result in the loss of wages.

With 2024 now half over, I wonder if many of the 75% disgruntled employees invested any time and thought into how they may be able to change their situation.  Don’t become a statistic, plan to achieve your goals and enjoy the process. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if at Christmas you could look back and feel the change in how you see yourself and your career?  It is certainly possible, and it starts by taking one step at a time, to create momentum to reach a predetermined destination.

(Published  Executive Secretary Magazine Sept/Oct 2019)

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