The best advice I will ever give anyone is “Don’t get too comfortable”.
It was my 32nd birthday on Sunday. I’m still young and I still have a lot to learn. I’ll tell myself that for the rest of my life. Why? Because the world will never stop changing. There will never be genuine consistency in anything we do, say, or experience. This has been my favorite life lesson so far.
It’s a lesson that applies to all aspects of life. Relationships, business, finances, children, nature…nothing will stay the same, ever. Sounds like common sense right? Apparently not. Over the years I have witnessed so many people going through different kinds of changes and I’ve observed the way they react to it. Some take it with ease or excitement, while others have been completely overwhelmed or devastated. And no matter what the situation is, if you are too comfortable in any aspect of your life or business, it will be much more difficult for you to get through a change of any kind.
Relating this to career life…
On a job search?
Being a jack of all trades is a GREAT thing! It gives you a better understanding of business and of people. But if you are unemployed and looking to work for someone else, this is not the best way to market yourself. Change your pitch. Pick the thing you’re best at and what you enjoy the most, take all of the knowledge and experience you have and apply it to that career goal. Be able to apply everything you know to one career goal. Once you’ve landed a job, don’t stop learning new skills. Don’t stop meeting new people. Don’t get too comfortable. Things will continue to change.
Looking for a promotion?
If you find that you’ve been in the same role for way too long, there’s a reason for it. No matter what the reason is, you have the ability to change it. No matter what the situation is with your company, the management, the industry, the economy…if situations are your excuse for what is holding you back, then you’re really just making excuses. Do something different. Continue your education, read about changes in the industry and think of what you can do to be more involved. Don’t let yourself be stagnant at work, create new opportunities by changing the way you do things. Talk to people who are successful and in the roles that you’d like to be in. What have they done to get there and what are they doing to continue their success?
Concerned about personal branding?
Don’t be! Some people have “branded” themselves right out of a job because they haven’t allowed room for change. Just in the last two years I’ve seen people get stuck in the black hole of their brand and because of this, they have made themselves less marketable. There is a difference between being branded as a professional and being known as a professional. Screw the brand. Be known.
It seems like we as humans embrace comfort and security because it feels so safe. But what happens when something changes beyond our control? What happens when our money isn’t worth what we are used to? What happens when we can’t afford to live in the home we once thought was so secure? What do we do when we can’t find a job?
Our only security is our ability to change. ~John Lilly
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