The Psychology of Career Outcomes
Your career outcomes psychology is important. Why are these outcomes important? It is because if gauged correctly, then these outcomes become fundamental building blocks in your continuing professional Development. How do I know this? It is because I gauged my my career outcomes unwisely and this affected my psychology significantly. This in turn affected my confidence.
I gauged my outcomes badly in that I repeatedly leaped too high and too far. This was not a case of arrogance. I leaped way too high and way too far because I also took on-faith that when other people said that I was capable, then surely that meant that I was? Whilst internally I was simultaneously self-sabotaging because I didn’t feel so capable or ready or even willing.
With outside pressure, supplemented with a concoction of ‘shoulds’ met with internal doubt, this conflict landed me flat on my face over and over.
The reality was that I was capable. The reality was that I wasn’t ready. I had, and still do have, those skills and capabilities. It was however a fact that I did not yet understand how and where to use them effectively. So, instead of asking ‘how high?” When someone (in all good faith!), suggested I jump, I would have benefited from hearing that, pausing, and deciding for myself what kind of jump I would take, or indeed if I were ready to jump at all.
Repeatedly falling on my face not only hurt (albeit mostly my pride!) , but it also had a strongly corrosive effect on my confidence. As my confidence fell, my desire to please grew and the leaps I took grew more risky…. which ended in burnout.
Don’t burn-out! Listen not only to what people tell you, but also listen to the small voice inside. Balance these two bits of information and you have a good chance of taking the manageable steps of possibility. Manage your possibilities and you can capitalise on them with good career outcomes psychology. This way leads upwards in enjoyable and safe continuing professional development.
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