Career Development Planning - Be The Best You
In any career path there will be twists and turns that you didn't foresee at the outset. Some are little more than temporary annoyances, others can be dramatic. There will be times when you can have a direct effect on the outcome of a situation and others when you are helpless. It is an unpleasant feeling but you have to be able to recognize it, accept it and move on. When you come to a brick wall the easy choice is to give up. The positive choice is to work out how to go around the wall, over it or underneath.
There is an old saying that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Your career development planning probably won't create such a life or death situation but it is true that there are two possible outcomes, success or defeat. Your career progress might be temporarily delayed or knocked off course but that isn't the same as defeat. Defeat is an attitude of mind and it is up to you to accept or deny it.
On those occasions when the solution to a problem seems beyond you it is time for clear thinking. Of course it's much easier to say than to do. Thinking clearly when you are most under stress or pressure is a difficult skill to acquire. If you can make it part of your mental processes then you will look at obstacles as challenges to be overcome, not stumbling blocks. Every time you are stopped you will see an opportunity to regroup and push forward with renewed enthusiasm and energy.
In a nutshell it's a question of becoming the best you that you can be. Find a way of dealing with negative situations that works for you. For some it is reading about the lives of others. If you draw inspiration in that way that's great. If listening to self-help audio does it for you, use that. There are a number of methods to boost your confidence, find the one that you are comfortable with and use it when things get you down.
The result will be an inner calm and the ability to cope when aspects of your career development planning don't go entirely as you hoped. It will also be more than that. Your competence will visible from the outside. Other people will see it in you. Whether that's in an interview situation, a presentation, a negotiation or even a confrontation, your strength will be a clear and valuable asset.