Pushing Past Career Envy

Hi there, welcome to Work Wise! My name’s Octavia Goredema.?

I’m the CEO of Fire Memos, the author of Prep, Push, Pivot and the host of the Audible Original series How To Change Careers.?

Every week I share insights and actionable steps to help you do your best work and achieve your career goals.?

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Whether it’s on social media or in real life, the feeling that others are accelerating faster can be hard to bear.?

We’ve all been there. You get a notification on LinkedIn about a former coworker who’s suddenly scored an unbelievable promotion. Or you run into an old friend who just landed an incredible new project.?

And suddenly, you start to feel deflated.?

Of course, it’s great to feel inspired by others who are doing great things. But what do you do when someone else’s success leaves you consumed with envy??

It can be hard to stop silently comparing ourselves to others. If you find yourself struggling with this, here are some ways to move forward.?

Take Time to Reflect

Instead of trying to deny, dismiss or bury a sudden stab of envy, take time to consider what is driving that feeling for you right now.?

Ask yourself, “what do I really want to achieve?” Be honest. Are you feeling envious because there’s something that you want to make happen? If so, write down what you want to experience.?

Next, write down a few mini milestones that would indicate you’re moving in the right direction.?

Pick one of those mini milestones and ask yourself, “what’s one step I could take towards achieving that?”?

Holding space to think about your next steps allows you to process your emotions, anchor your goals, and create a plan.?

Gather Support for Your Goal

Now that you’ve identified the next step to explore or pursue, it’s time to stop overthinking and take action.?

Start working towards your selected mini milestone. Reaching out to others to discuss your career goals can help you troubleshoot obstacles and uncover ideas or resources that can help as you progress.?

To help me do this, I lean on accountability partners. I’ve gathered a select group of friends who I share my goals with. We check in with each other every month via text or Facetime to give each other encouragement and support.?

Monitor Your Own Growth vs Comparing to Others

Career envy happens to the best of us, even when we’re happy for the people with good news to share.?

But instead of constantly comparing yourself to others, focus on what you’re building toward. This approach empowers you to measure your progress based on where you’re heading versus where you started.?

This is why I’m building Fire Memos. It’s an app that enables you to record and recognize your professional accomplishments. Maintaining an archive of your incremental progress, small wins and major milestones has so many compounding benefits for your career.?

You start to get a sense of your growth. You start curating a place that remembers all the moments that matter. And best of all, you an recognize the invisible work that is laying the foundation for what you’ll do next.?

Do your best to review your achievements and your goals without the filter of anyone else’s accomplishments to cloud your view.?

Get real about what you want to work towards and channel your energy into taking one step at a time.?

-Octavia?

How do you tune out noise to focus on your own growth? I read and respond to every single comment, so if you have an insight to share, or a question for me, let me know below.