It’s time to get moving!
Remember Newton’s First Law:
An object in motion will stay in motion, and an object at rest will stay at rest, unless acted upon by an outside force.
So what if you are feeling stuck, and need to get moving in a positive direction?
Perhaps you feel overwhelmed, are getting distracted, or procrastinating what is most important. It may be fear that is holding you back.
Sound familiar? We’ve all been there! It can feel like a devastating, inward spiral of demotivation and stress. Want to get out of it? Keep reading.
Ask yourself some questions!
Often good questions, answered honestly, are the best way to diagnose the problem, and get some movement happening. We’ll consider a few of these questions, and some ideas to quell the problems that may be arising.
Do you have a deadline?
Parkinson’s law says that “work expands to fill the time available for completion.” If something is due in a month, it looms large and we make it huge, or we just don’t care about it right now. If you can simply put a deadline on a task/project, you’ll be more able to shrink it down to what needs to be done now.
Incremental deadlines help to. Sometimes I set aggressive deadlines on things I’ve been neglecting to do (combined with someone that will hold me accountable) just to force me to make it happen! For some of us, the pressure to succeed gets us moving.
Are you overthinking? Stuck in analysis paralysis?
This one is a classic.
So many decisions in life feel like a chicken/egg problem. How can you know what to work on unless you have the right answers on what to work on? Well, it’s a tough pill to swallow, but the best way to get those answers is to try something and see what happens.
Now, you may want to set up some metrics, or a test plan, or a data collection stream of some sort, but experimenting moves the needle from hypothesis to knowledge.
What do you believe about yourself?
Are you dealing with imposter syndrome? Feeling unworthy or unqualified in some way? Perhaps it’s these limited beliefs that are holding you back.
Now, I’m not saying you don’t have improvements to make, but who you are is perfect for this moment. Ask your closest family/friends what your greatest strengths are. You may learn some things, and certainly you’ll learn that you have a lot to offer this world. Believe what they tell you, leverage your strengths, and crush the fear that is harboring inside of you.
Is your end goal motivating and SMART?
Let’s consider where you’re trying to go. Does it get you excited? If not, consider finding a new goal.
I’m serious. Nothing sucks worse that working towards something you have no interest in.
Additionally, you’ve probably heard of SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-Bound. These simple requirements for goals are a great test to see if the goals we set are any good. Make sure you like your goals, then put them through the SMART test. Refine, and take action.
Accelerate Your Career
I’ll be sharing more on these topics in coming weeks, but this is a great start. I hope you’re excited!
If you’re ready to accelerate your career and leadership further and want some help doing it, here are a few ways I can help when you’re ready:
- Watch a FREE Engineering Career Masterclass – the 4 Keys to Intentional Engineering Career Transitions
- Enroll in the Engineering Career Accelerator – the exact system that hundreds of engineers have used to go from confused to thriving in their careers (by solidifying their career foundations).
Schedule a free call with me to talk about getting personalized 1:1 and group support on your goals.
Land a Job You Love!
I’ve created a new masterclass to help those out of a job or seeking a new job to help them get hired fast. Go watch my FREE Engineering Career Accelerator Masterclass by clicking on the button below!
