Monday, February 1, 2016

5 Words That Limit Your Career Success



There's a lot of things that challenge me in life and in my work.

I cannot flip a pancake without making a mess. I get lost in new places -- even with a map. I find it difficult to focus on work when I know the St. Louis Cardinals are playing.

That's why it would be easy for me to say: I'm not a good cook. I panic in new places. I can't focus on work.

Those are pretty drastic statements when you think about it. With more practice, I can get better at flipping pancakes. I can find my way around a new place by asking for help or studying a map before heading out to a new place. I can set my DVR to watch the game later, after I've finished my work.

All easy solutions, right?

But I cannot count the number of times I've heard someone say, "I'm not good at that."

With those handful of words, you've just told your boss you're not willing to learn. You've let others know that even you believe you are incompetent, and not someone on whom they can depend.

Whether it's learning new technology, communicating better or volunteering for a difficult project, you cannot put limits on yourself.

Once you do, then you've told others it's OK to put limits on you, too.

So, eliminate "I'm not good at" statements from your life.  Instead, learn to say, "It's something I'd like to learn," or "I'm working on getting better at it."

You might be surprised at how easy it is to achieve new goals in your career once you see challenges as opportunities -- not signs of your ineptness. 


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