8 Quick (And Easy) Ways To Make Career Progress When You’re Busy

It might seem impossible to squeeze in those things you need to do to get a professional leg up in these hectic times. But making headway needn’t be time-consuming or difficult. Here are eight quick and easy ways to make progress in your career:

1. Protect your time

Time is a precious and nonrenewable commodity; it will continue to move forward, and you can never get wasted time back. It’s far too easy to be busy but not productive, which leaves you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated that you didn’t accomplish what you want to do. Protect your time by establishing boundaries, eliminating distractions, and prioritizing what matters most. Saying no to the people and things that don’t support your goals will give you more time to say yes to those that do.

2. Become a knowledge sponge

There is a plethora of knowledge in a variety of formats and timeframes available to consume. Reading books and articles, watching webinars, TED talks, and masterclasses, and listening to podcasts and audiobooks opens your world to new ideas and possibilities, keeps you current with trends in your industry (or the industry you’d like to join), and gives you interesting fodder for chatting up your colleagues and clients. Work it into your daily routine by swapping a Netflix binge session for reading a few chapters or by giving up some scroll time to catch up on your favorite podcast.

3. Regularly share your wisdom

You’ve likely amassed a wealth of experience, insights, and understanding; put it to good use by helping others. Position yourself as a trusted thought leader by regularly sharing your wisdom in your area of expertise through social media, which amplifies your impact and reach. Provide value by serving, not selling, and focus on sharing real-world business experiences and leadership lessons learned.

4. Refresh your career story

Everyone has a unique story, but not everyone leverages its power to position them for success. Properly crafted, your career story helps differentiate you from your competitors, highlight your value, and draw others to you. It provides a common thread that weaves together your personal and professional experiences, as well as your transferable skills, making it easy for others to connect the dots. Make sure you take a few minutes to update your career story on your LinkedIn profile, omitting anything that doesn’t support your goals and focus on selling your destiny, not your history.

5. Shift your focus to others

One of the best (and counterintuitive) ways to get ahead in your career isn’t about you at all. Far too often, we assume that everyone thinks, behaves, and communicates the same way we do. Worse, we make the mistake of focusing our sales pitches and communication about us rather than our intended audiences. By putting others first and adopting a service mindset, you can improve your communication and connection, establish trust, deepen relationships, and build business.

6. Challenge yourself to try something new

If you keep doing the same things, you’ll never grow. Get over your fear and jump out of your comfort zone. When you challenge yourself to try something that scares you—leading a pitch to a new client, presenting your department’s quarterly objectives, or asking your boss for more responsibility—you’ll move beyond words to action. And when you successfully master that challenge, you’ll have a newfound confidence. You’ll gain positive attention for your fearlessness and initiative. And your decision to take a leap of faith can be the catalyst for further growth.

7. Level up your inner circle

In your quest to get ahead, don’t underestimate the power of your relationships. Surround yourself with people who support and challenge you to be the best version of you and who can help you get there. Grab a small group and form an informal mastermind group where each member can introduce other people and companies and share their expertise and advice. Your environment always wins; make sure your inner circle includes the kind of people with whom you’d like to emulate, learn, and collaborate.

8. Practice self-care

We’re constantly bombarded with messages of hard-charging executives who never sleep and entrepreneurs who proudly “hustle” 24/7. But we rarely hear the ugly aftermath of that go-go attitude: chronic stress, burnout, fizzled relationships, and disease. The truth is this: you can’t pour—or perform—from an empty cup. To make serious career progress, don’t neglect your wellbeing. Self-care isn’t selfish; you must build in time to recharge your mind, body, and spirit.

This article first appeared on Forbes.com. Find it?here ?and my other Forbes articles?here .

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