What is your next career move?

Abraham Lincoln said: "The best way to predict the future is to create it" ..Are you creating your future, or are you sitting somewhere watching people succeed and feeling sorry for yourself? Are you planning your next move, or are you watching friends, family members and colleagues get ahead in their lives, while you are not?

See, this is what they do not teach us in school, or university..Successful careers do not just happen to us, graduating from an amazing school and scoring a job is just the beginning of the rest of your life. The hard work does not stop, the planning does not stop, but mainly what does not stop is the learning and self growth. Successful careers are a full time job, it is your responsibility to plan carefully your next move, to keep interviewing for jobs although you are happy in your current job, it is your responsibility to keep learning new skills and pushing your boundaries. Going everyday to work and accomplishing your tasks is amazing, but it is only serving the company you work for, but it does not serve your own growth as an individual.

If your only ambition in life is to stay in the same company for years and pray and hope that you will get promoted and get a salary raise, let me tell you, this is a very safe plan and it will not take you places. Success comes with risks, and risks require courage and thorough planning. You too are capable of advancing in your career path if you follow these easy steps:

• Keep updating your resume
• Learn new skills (sometimes it is as easy as watching a Youtube video tutorial)
• Socialize outside of your regular group of friends/ colleagues
• Decide what you want to achieve and put a plan on how to get there
• Put a deadline for your goal and reasonable steps (It is easier to jump to the next level than go straight to the top)
• Get a mentor (so many people are open to offering tips and advice)
• Listen to motivational podcasts and videos
• If you fail, do not give up (We learn more from our mistakes than from our achievements)
• keep dreaming and being positive
• Believe in yourself

I know that you have probably heard and read all of these things before, but the trick to achieving success in anything in life is to remain focused and never get distracted from your goals and dreams. 2022 is few days away, the corona years we went through and the lockdown have affected many of us financially, mentally and physically. But successful people never give up, you too can set up new goals to yourself, if you believe strongly that there is always an opportunity in any situation. So, what is your next career move? and did you start planning for it?