How is your career like Black Friday?

The U.S. Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone, and with it, Black Friday as well.

Millions of people take part in Black Friday deals, both in stores and online, and many will tell you that Black Friday is the biggest sales day of the year, and historically, has been the day when brick and mortars became profitable, turning from "the red" to "black", referring to when ledgers were kept in ink.

But how much do you really know about Black Friday, and, in an interesting twist, how is your career like Black Friday?

First, here are some little known, or possibly widely known facts about Black Friday:

• The term "Black Friday" was first used on September 24, 1869 to describe a financial crisis that caused a substantial drop in gold prices
• In the 1950s, American retailers used the term in reference to the post-Thanksgiving workforce absence
• The term was later repurposed by Philadelphia police to describe the shopping-induced vehicle and pedestrian traffic at city merchants
• According to a survey by Drive Research, 24% of respondents reported being pushed or shoved by other shoppers, 9% reported verbal altercations, and 5% reported being physically attacked
• Black Friday has gone globa, becoming popular in other countries, with many adopting "Black Friday" sales. In Mexico, Black Friday is called "El Buen Fin," which means "the good weekend"
• Black Friday has now expanded - including Thanksgiving Day through the most recent occurance, Cyber Monday
• Black Friday is the busiest day of the year for plumbers due to Thanksgiving overeating
• Many retail stores now close on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday to allow their employees time to be with family before the busy Christmas season
• A study from WalletHub market research shows that 14 percent of products will have prices on Black Friday similar to their normal in-store costs, while 17 percent of items will be more expensive on the shopping holiday than they are on Amazon
• The Saturday before Christmas, not Black Friday, is the biggest shopping day of the year for many retailers, both online and brick and mortar

Whether or not you'll indulge in any Black Friday shopping, it's always fun to know a little more about the day.

News stories about fights and violence on Black Friday have gotten more scarce, as have stories following families planning Black Friday excursions. Over the last several decades, families and friends would scour newspapers and ads, and plan their Black Friday trips, many beginning with a storage truck rental and sleeping in line in front of stores.

Some would color coordinate bags and design intricate ways to tag buys so they could rush in an out ot stores to their vehicles to stage their purchases and keep them separate.

Black Friday is a major ordeal in the U.S. and globally, and you've likely seen countless commercials sharing the deals that are available to you this Black Friday.

In an article on hermoney.com, Behavioral Economist and Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business Scott Rick shared that "Many retailers will label sales “Black Friday Sale” or “Cyber Monday" Sale, leading consumers to think they’re getting a better price than they normally would. Many people don’t have high “sales literacy”…they don’t fully realize the quality of the deals that are offered year-round. Because we’re used to seeing some doorbuster deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we tend to interpret any deals offered on those days as more special and unusual than they actually are.”

This phenomenon often leads to fear of missing out and overspending.

How then, is your carer like Black Friday?

It's all about goals, specifically, career goals.

In Brian Tracy's book "Goals", a Harvard study is referenced that was conducted between 1979 and 1989.

In 1979, graduates of the Harvard MBA were asked a two part question. That question was "Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?”

3% of the graduates had written goals and plans.

13% had goals, but they were not in writing.

84% had no specific goals at all, aside from graduating and enjoying the summer.

Ten years later, in 1989, the researchers interviewed the members of that class again.

They found that the 13% who had goals that were not in writing were earning on average, twice as much as the 84% who had no goals at all.

But most surprisingly, they found that the 3% who had clear, written goals when they left Harvard were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97% of graduates.

The only difference was the clarity of the goals they had for themselves when they graduated.

How then, is your career like Black Friday?

Like those who go into Black Friday with no plan and no goals who overspend, your career is something that should be approached with a vision and a plan.

Whatever your current career stage is, do you have a vision for yourself, goals, and a written plan? Do you know what success means to you, and even if you don't know exactly how you'll accomplish that success, do you have a strategy?

Have you sought out a mentor who has achieved what you'd like to achieve to help you? Are you being a mentor to others who could benefit from your knowledge?

Just like your spending and your plan for Black Friday, succeeding in your career is entirely up to you.

Now, armed with a little useless or possibly useful trivia, take a few moments to map out your own career success plan.

And if this article resonated with you, please give me some feedback, and share me with others!

Thank you so much, and Happy Black Friday!