What is your definition of success?
For many, it is defined by a certain amount of financial wealth. For others, it's about the job title. For every one else, it is some form of personal growth metric that they seek throughout their careers that direct their motivation.
It does not matter what industry you are in because both the opportunities and ways that you can be fulfilled and excited in your work are virtually infinite.
New technologies, new work environments, and new social structures allow for growth opportunities all over the world and across all platforms.
So the new definition of success: Never stop growing.
Existentially speaking, the only way to survive is to evolve.
The only way to evolve is to continue learning and growing in any way that fulfills you.
Keywords: THAT FULFILLS YOU.
Here's the thing: a lot of people understand the concept of growing and learning continually in order to get ahead in work and life and bolster their chances of survival, but the majority of those people do not enjoy the process.
They see it as a chore. Or as something they think they need for their job. Just another item on the to-do list.
Very few ask that next question of what new learning would actually be interesting and enjoyable for them to learn. Almost every company is open to (and should be) offering professional development opportunities in order to retain their employees and be the one place they would ever need to work to meet their career needs. This means that the responsibility comes down to the employee to pursue that advancement.
Ask yourself these questions as a way to assess your motivation for evolution in your work:
- Why are you working in the job you currently are? What interests you and serves you about it?
If you do not wish to learn more skills and diversify your knowledge,
- Is it because you don't care about continuing your current job?
- Is it because your company does not offer any resources for continued learning?
- Is it because you do not know how to find the resources?
If you do wish to learn more,
- What are you curious about?
- What do you enjoy learning?
- What pivot are you interested in making in your department or company?
- What kind of information / entertainment / education do you like to consume in your free time?
Once you answer the above questions,
- What first step can you take tomorrow toward that continued learning?
- Who do you have to ask?
- What must you commit to?
Use these questions to guide what new learning you pursue based on what actually interests you. Do not pursue new learning because you feel like you have to.
After all, shouldn't you enjoy your survival?
