Remember the book fair from the
previous blog?
Meredith, a good friend of mine was
signing her book there. It got me a little envious (don’t we all dream of
publishing our own book) but at the same time it fascinated me. It takes
courage to get out there …
It also made me realize that, as
most people, I tend to play it safe. I have a solid client base with whom I
enjoy working together, I meet a large variety of candidates that always learn
me something interesting and yes, the financial bottom line is still doing fine
too.
Yet, there is that little voice in
the back of my head asking whether I have reached my full potential, whether I
have truly created the company that I had in mind at the start. No worries, I
have no plans to radically change my business. However, when you look as to how
rapidly things are evolving in the world around us, I can’t help but wonder how
headhunting will change in the years to come….and whether I am prepared for it.
Reaching out for the next step,
means taking a risk, doing things that I have not tried before. It means that I
would need to overcome the fear that I may not succeed. I bet this sounds familiar.
But it also holds the promise of
the satisfaction afterwards when I do succeed.
Putting it in clichés, it means
that in order to grow and be prepared for the future, I have to get out of my
comfort zone.
Many books have been written on how
you can play it big. Most of them focus on mindset. Although I find it
interesting literature, I am not the type of person to sit down and picture the
brilliant future or who will create my older self and use it a guidance for the
decisions that I take.
I started focusing on the more
practical tips to get out of my comfort zone. This is what I will put on my
wall. I hope it will serve you as well when you are planning for that next move
in your career.
- Start small and correct as you go
There is no need to jump out of
your comfort zone, you’ll jump right back in. Rome wasn’t build in a day
either. There is also no need to develop a full fledged plan before you take
any action, you’ll get never get anywhere.
Take the first step towards where
you want to go, then take the second.
When you have a clear view on where
you want to be, you can determine the way to get there step by step. This will
also allow you to correct your path as you go.
- Learn from the past
We all have been out of our comfort
zone in the past. I know that I have (writing this blog was a major step out of
my comfort zone).
So when in doubt, look back to how
you have conquered some hurdles. Remember the things you have done right and
learn from the mistakes that you have made.
- Learn from others.
If you want to become better at something, start looking for people who are doing what you want to do. Look for role models and mentors that represent who you want to be, find people who share the same desire. Inevitably their influence will have an effect on your behavior. But also, don’t be afraid to ask them to help you. I am sure they will be happy to oblige.
- It’s ok to step back in your comfort zone
You have a comfort zone for a reason: to protect you. Otherwise we all may be jumping off cliffs and out of airplanes. It also protects us from taking on more stress and anxiety than we are equipped to deal with.
So it’s ok to get back into your comfort zone from time to time. To sit back and relax in the environment that you know and that you feel comfortable in.
- Don’t take yourself to seriously
I know it is difficult but no one
is perfect. Trying new things goes hand in hand with making mistakes. Don’t be
your own worst critic and learn to laugh at yourself when things go wrong. Taking
risks inevitably involves some setbacks.
At the same time, celebrate
success, even if it is a small step. It will help you to remember that you are
capable of great things.
And you? What will you put on your wall?
I look forward to hearing from you,
Isabel
Through a personalized and
tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in
attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company
Check out our website http://www.ingenium-search.be
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@IngeniumSearch
