Choosing a Mindful Career
Knowing your mind
We are all humans at the end of the day and susceptible to emotional upheavals occasionally. Those of us who take decisions based on these emotions are often led into a destructive spiral of downward fall whether it comes to our career or our personal lives! Therefore, it is of utmost importance to remember that what may set you apart from your peers (assuming all of you have the equal skills and opportunities for a bright career ahead) is simply the ability to filter out your emotions from your decisions/actions! While it is easier said than done, it has been seen that most decisions taken during a fit of rage or anxiousness are categorically ‘bad decisions’ with negative consequences.
Being mindful is the holy grail of a successful career and life! But what does ‘being mindful’ essentially mean? Well, it is simply the technique of knowing your mind and knowing what you stand for in terms of ethics, life goals and basic values. Once you are clear about what you want from life and from your environment, choosing a career and making the right decisions (without getting affected emotionally by events) becomes a breeze.
Your present choices govern your future
‘What’ and ‘who’ you choose now in terms of work-domain and associations respectively will govern the rest of your life. Although you may have heard this advice a million times before, it does seem easier to just go with the flow. Taking things as they come has become the new trend amongst youngsters nowadays. But only those who are able to take the trouble of going out of their way to ensure that they mindfully choose the right work environment and the right people to associate with are the ones who stand apart and eventually succeed!
Factors that affect our decision making
Your decisions are not your decisions alone! The consequences will be faced by your family, friends and even your company. Decisions need to be made in the right frame of mind and it is important to recognize the factors that may affect your decision-making abilities.
Let us take a look at the factors that can affect your decision making:
- Previous life experiences
- Personality
- Socio-economic status
- Cognitive biases and prejudices
- Neuroticism
Pause, reflect and strategize before taking any major decision.
Holistic skill development for a planned career path
Times are changing rapidly and it has become increasingly important to stay relevant and grow your skill set depending on your preferred domain of growth. When you are thinking of self-development seriously, you need to first look at the four basic pillars of holistic skill development: Business, Process, Functional and Personal.
- Business oriented skill development involves management skills that involve various sectors of business.
- Process oriented skill development involves excellence in process management with additional tools such as Six Sigma etc.
- Functional skill development mainly involves technical skill set development revolving around a functional domain.
- Personal skill development involves social and comprehensive skills, people management etc.
Hence, the right way to go about climbing the ladder of the corporate world is to be consciously aware of your strengths, weaknesses and personality. Knowing yourself is the first step towards a successful and fulfilling career as everything else is related to how well you can weather the events that unravel on a daily basis in your environment. Also, remember to choose the right work-place and the right people as you go higher up through the ranks. The more you achieve in your work-place, the more you need to be able to deal with the rising pressures and politics prevalent in higher management. When you have the right people backing you during tough times, life becomes a lot easier and you can make the ascent to the top much more smoothly and efficiently!