What do you do when you are overwhelmed in your career?
- The new project you are leading seems daunting to begin.
- Multiple priorities at work are becoming harder to juggle.
- The job search you want to launch but aren’t sure where to start.
- The career change you want to make but you aren’t sure what is the first step.
Embrace the idea of progress, not perfection. Start small. You run the marathon one step at a time. When you are feeling overwhelmed and you are not sure where to begin, lean into these 4 strategies to get you started.
Take the First Step
Often, taking the first step is the hardest part. What is the first step you need to take towards reaching your career goals? This could be as simple as scheduling time on your calendar to think more about the goal or project and what’s next. The first step could be that you need to reach out for help, to understand how to move forward. And sometimes, that is the hardest step of all to ask for help.
Break It Down Into Smaller Pieces
As with any larger goal or project, there are multiple pieces or steps. Start by breaking down the task at hand into smaller pieces.
For example, if you are looking at managing multiple priorities at work, map out your work – write down your current projects and responsibilities. Evaluate where you are spending your time – and where you should be spending your time.
For a job search, what activities will be part of your search?
Adding structure to your process by creating subgoals or steps helps to generate actionable items on which you can move forward.
There is power in writing out your goals and the steps with pen and paper. Taking the time to get all the information out of your head and onto paper will help you to see the steps needed to move forward.
Review Your Progress
While you need to keep the end goal in mind (a completed project or landing a new job), it’s important to keep the perspective that it will take you time to reach your end goal. Review your progress so far to remind yourself of how far you have come and see where you may need to course correct in moving forward.
Reward Yourself Along the Way
Find ways to reward your progress. Choose a reward that works for you and will motivate you. Maybe you are not at the finish line, but you are halfway there, and you should feel accomplished in reaching the halfway mark. Rewarding yourself along the way will motivate you to continue moving forward.
The next time you are feeling overwhelmed in your career, use these 4 strategies to cut through the overwhelm and help propel you forward.
Need help taking steps towards your career goals? Schedule a time to talk about what it would look like to work together.