5 Ways To Turn Your Professional Life Around

Does your professional life feel like it’s stuck in time? Do you feel like you’re right where you were last year? Do you wish you were much further along (professionally) than you are? Don’t ignore these feelings. They’re a good indication that you know you can do better and you want to. Instead of accepting where you are -and where you’ll probably be next year if you don’t make a change- wake up to the realization that you CAN change where you are.

I want to share with you 5 simple, but powerful reasons why you may be stuck. Whether you’re an assistant to an assistant or you’re a CEO, you must tap into these ways of turning your professional life around if you want to reach your full potential.

Regain your work ethic. Do you unexcitedly give just enough energy to working your 40 hours then happily clock out for the weekend? Everyone gets in a rut, but staying there isn’t an option- not if you want more out of life.

Take your work ethic by the horns and make it a priority again. For this to happen, your work ethic needs to be accompanied by gratitude. When you stop feeling grateful for your job, your title and your pay, your work ethic is out of there!

Focus on doing only what matters. What REALLY matters? What needs your attention above all else? Give your time and energy to those tasks and those tasks only. The time you put into your work needs to go towards the things that will benefit you most. Stop putting energy into things that don’t matter.

Build real relationships. When people know that you’re invested in your relationship with them they give back to you in a number of ways. When you have true blue relationships with fellow employees, clients and your employers you create resources between you. You have someone to reach out to, to ask favors of and to return that generosity to. The more genuine relationships you have the further you will go in your career.

Serve others. You aren’t here (on this planet) to serve yourself. You’re here to serve others. People sometimes fail to realize that serving others isn’t always about being in a “service industry”. It’s about doing what you do best: in service to others. Painting portraits to serve others with your talents. Becoming a lawyer to help people through legal troubles. Being a personal trainer to teach people how to better themselves. No matter your gifts and talents, they can be given in service.

Give value to your customers, coworkers and employers. If you want others to see you as valuable you have to set yourself apart by doing everything with value. Those who bring value to a company are the people who climb the ladder and reach their potential. When you walk into a room, bring value through impute, encouragement, knowledge and service.

No matter what your profession is, you can apply these values and get yourself out of that career quicksand. Without them you’ll likely fall short of your potential. With them you’ll reach your goals.