Peak Pathway Magazine's Blog : career development forum

  1. Mend your mindset. Get your head straight. Understand that to achieve success, you need to   have a positive outlook on life. Every moment is an opportunity for you to learn and become better. Even if you fall down, get back up and do it again until you get it right. Mistakes allow negativity to seep into your thoughts, which can lead you to doubt yourself and paralyze you from moving forward. The truth is that the journey to success is perilous, and it’s up to you to   overcome the challenges   along the way. To help you keep a positive, growth mindset, surround yourself with the right people who will serve as your support group. You can lean on them and ask for advice when you’re shaken. And you can return the favor by sharing lessons from your own experience. These kinds of relationships, developed over time, are reminders that you need like-minded people in your life. 2. Determine your life goals. Think of your goal as your life’s purpose .   What are you truly pa

1. Use the phrase, “Yes, and?” There’s   a simple concept called, “yes, and?”   In every conversation, if everyone can commit to replacing the word “but” with “yes, and?” to keep things moving forward, that helps keep the positivity moving forward as well. You can disagree with people not by pushing them back, but by propelling them forward. 2. Reflect on the good and bad. At the end of the day, I like to recount the worst part of my day and the best part—I call it the “pits and peaks.” In order to keep things positive and   avoid getting caught up in the negative, I think of one pit and three peaks. Even if I had the worst day, there are always things to be thankful for, and this helps me take a moment and be grateful. 3. Work toward a higher goal. Find the meaning in what you do and how it helps others for the better. Tie your goals and strategies to making someone else’s life better or more whole, and you’ll find the positivity in what you do every day.   Be grateful   f

1. Change your perspective. Sometimes all it takes to get out of a challenging situation is to   change your perspective. Instead of thinking that you’re struggling, think of it as progressing. Change your language from   I have to do this today   to   I get to do this today . A simple switch can make all the difference in turning a tough situation into an opportunity. Usually when you’re struggling in life or business, it’s because things aren’t going the way you planned, and because it didn’t go as planned, you feel frustrated. It’s crucial to keep in mind that   you are not your situation . If you can’t control the situation you’re in, you can control the way you react to it. A change in perspective comes when you’re aware that you’re in control of your emotions—you control whether you feel stressed or not. You can see it as life happening to you or   life happening for you. You decide. 2. Focus on the things that move the needle. Let’s say you don’t want to change y

1. Put all remote possibilities out of your mind. Don’t worry about things you have no control over. Don’t spend your time thinking about all of the bad things that   might   happen to you. Don’t spend your time plotting and planning ways to make sure these things will never happen. Courageous people   don’t worry about things that are out of their control or things that are unlikely to happen. They concentrate on what they can control. 2. Face your fears before you start something. Imagine difficult situations before they occur. Make a list of the worst that could happen, and you’ll probably see that the situation is not so bad after all. A friend of mine lost everything a few years back—her home, cars, possessions, antiques, art, jewelry and credit. She lost it all. Now, on her way back up, whenever she’s faced with a   tough decision, she asks herself,   What’s the worst that can happen? And guess what, she’s already been through the worst and she survived. It’s not an i

1.   Take responsibility for the missed opportunity or the misrepresentation. Learn from the fact that though you made the best presentation possible, your client wanted it a different way. Be prepared for the letdowns that happen every so often. Know that this lost opportunity just sets you up to take advantage of the next one. Realize that you can make the necessary alterations next time. Make the changes that will make the difference. Study your mistakes, and learn from them. Instead of dwelling on your mistakes, simply acknowledge them. Remind yourself that you’re smarter than your bank account leads you to believe. 2.   Remind yourself that you’re bound to get better. Don’t get down on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s the next opportunity that matters, not the last one. The last one matters only in that you must learn from it, but the next one gives you the opportunity to show that you   have   learned from your mistakes.   You can do it better next time.   You jus

  1. Accept that life is cyclical. Remind yourself of past times when things looked dismal but ultimately turned around. 2. Make a list of all of your blessings. This puts energy and focus into the good in your life and shifts your paradigm. It also attracts more good. 3. Give. When you worry about the future, those feelings often stem from a place of lack and   fear. Reach out to someone you care about, and do them a favor. Listen to someone else having a hard time. Spend time volunteering with those less fortunate. 4. Take action. Pessimism can be paralyzing. Write down a specific problem that is upsetting you—whether it’s a symptom of geopolitical strife, a professional challenge, or simply feeling lonely. Write down one thing you will do each day to make it better. Do that thing. 5. Read, watch and listen. Read articles and books, watch movies and listen to interviews about   successful people. A common theme? Conflict. It’s the human condition; the choice is h

  1. Dig deep. Ask questions instead of creating conclusions. Questions lead to growth and expansion; conclusions lead to dead ends. Ask yourself:   What am I thinking? What else is possible? Would I love this?   And simply:   Why? 2. Map your future. Create a “passion plan” comprised of three lists: Companies that pique your interest, job descriptions that sound like fun and specific functions you would enjoy from job descriptions. Then, determine where to look, what additional training you might need, which companies to contact and what people to add to your network. 3. Do the 40/20. Structure your time so that you work 40 hours, but budget 20 additional hours outside of your job to: Assemble your passion plan. Develop and refine your brand (LinkedIn profile, résumé, etc.). Network and talk to everyone. Take bold actions like making the calls you’ve always feared and developing ways to stand out from the crowd. 4. Look at the big picture. Identify patterns and t

1.   Take some time away. You know what happens. You’re going about your day and everything seems to be going well, when out of nowhere, disaster strikes. All of your best laid plans begin to tumble. Sometimes   circumstances surprise us and we react—and, unfortunately, this often compounds the problem, because by reacting, we tend to operate out of our weaknesses instead of our strengths. We make decisions that are not well thought out. We function with a bad attitude that says, “I can’t believe this is happening!” The next time life turns against you, take some time to just step back from the problem and think. This will enable you to rationally deal with the issue at hand, instead of emotionally reacting. It will allow you to put your state of mind back in its proper place. It will give you the opportunity to   choose your attitude   as you face the circumstances at hand. Remember that you don’t have to do something right now. Go grab a cup of coffee and relax.   You   are in

1. Mind your language. Your words create your reality. Describe your situation as a nightmare and you’ll experience just that. Describe it as exciting, and it will shift the emotions you feel and the actions you take. Don’t talk about your problems using dramatic language, but describe your situation in a way that places you in a position of power. 2. Align your wheels. When a car gets regular tuneups, it goes farther on less gas and rarely breaks down. We aren’t all that different. Take time to refuel and realign your thinking so you can handle life’s trials with more ease and less stress. Listen to music. Play with your dog. Go to yoga. 3. Don’t let your problems be your identity. No one likes to have his or her business fail or heart broken. But although our setbacks can shape us, they don’t have to define us. When life deals you a tough blow, be vigilant about not letting your adversity become your identity. 4. Lean on your tribe. The stronger your support network,

1. Start your day right. Set yourself up for   success in the morning   by focusing your brain on information that motivates and inspires you. Read 10 pages of a book before getting out of bed,   listen to a podcast   during the morning drive, or read a news story about someone who has overcome a challenge. You’ll carry that empowered mindset with you to work and beyond. 2. Be picky. Get your news online so you have the power to choose the stories you’re exposed to. If the headline appears sensational, don’t click on it. A gruesome murder across the country, while sad, is not relevant to your life or success. Seek stories that   matter to you. 3. Turn off the ticker. If you have cable news running all day long in your office, turn it off. That constant stream of negative news, or the ticker at the bottom of the screen, is often   simply noise. 4. Take action. Part of why news makes us feel down is that it shows us our behavior doesn’t matter in the face of problems. R