love_your_career

Love Your Career: Do you have a career or a job?

 Dear Monday Motivators,

This month, I will be writing around the theme: Love Your Career. Lots of questions come to my mind when I say that phrase, such as:

  1. Do you have a career or a job?
  2. Is what you are doing today just something to pass your time until a better opportunity comes along?
  3. What do you love about your work?
  4. During the day, are you busy watching the clock dreading each minute…. counting down the hours until you get to go home? Or, do you find the hours passing quickly and before you know it, it is 5:00?
  5. Are you growing or are you stagnant?
  6. Did you choose your career or do you feel like you had no choice? 
  7. Are you sharing your knowledge with your peers?

Your answers to those questions will be an indicator of whether you are doing the work you were called to do or just biding your time?

If you have a career, you continually invest in your professional development. I know many high-level executive assistants who think they have arrived and don’t need to learn anything—such a shame! They obviously are ‘retired’ in their mind and are just going through the motions of the day.

When you have a career, you invest in your:

  • education, formal or informal
  • wardrobe and appearance
  • accessories like a nice pen and leather portfolio
  • growth and setting goals

You are dedicated and committed to performing at the top of your game. As a result, you maintain a competitive advantage, stay fresh, add value, gain respect from management, and are seen as a serious contributor. Personally, you are energized, feel fulfilled, and are less stressed. This does not mean you won’t have days that are stressful. In fact, if you are in a career, you will come upon many mountains to climb over the course of your career life but it is exhilarating.

Make time every day to learn something new – even just one concept or idea. Executive assistants and administrative professionals must seek opportunities to gain knowledge. The great news is that we have hundreds of resources; even thousands of resources to choose from. If you make small changes, stay with them on a daily basis, and create new behaviors, you will change the trajectory of your career and life. I guarantee it!

One of my favorite quotes is from Brian Tracy. I started following Brian in 1990 when I first started my business and am a huge fan of his philosophies.

“You are your most precious asset. You are our most precious thing in your world. You must invest in yourself every day. Never be cheap on yourself. You are worth it. Everything you are and everything you will be is the result of how you use your mind.” – Brian Tracy

Bottom line: don’t wait for your manager or company to give you approval for training or for books and CDs. First of all, they may never approve of anything for you. It’s your career…. it’s your life… start investing in it. The payoff is huge.

LOVE yourself enough to invest in you. LOVE your career enough to invest in it!

Discover online learning and the benefits of attending our Conference For Administrative Excellence.

Joan Burge

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