The 7 Reasons You’re Not Moving Forward In Your Career

Look on the Internet and you’ll find there is no shortage of articles on “how to be successful.” Millions of eyes scan the tips and most readers then move on and do the same things they did the day before (and the day before that). With so much information at our fingertips, we should all have crossed off a significant number of goals by now. Why then are so many people still sitting in front of a computer reading about how to achieve what they want instead of actually achieving it?

I believe much of it comes down to the way we are supporting (or not supporting) ourselves while we work to achieve our goals. Today, I am sharing 7 reasons you’re not moving forward (and how to get back into your stride).

You’re starving for a break

It’s good to be hungry, but people who are starving are desperate and will run towards a source of professional nourishment with their fangs out. It’s not hard to figure out how this approach makes would-be contacts feel. The best networkers are those who approach other people with sincerity and a real desire to develop a mutually-beneficial relationship. I have said it many times before: Always offer something when you ask for something. If someone has gone out of their way for you, be gracious: don’t hound them to do more.

You’re surrounded by negative people

They say that we become most like the 5 people we surround ourselves with, but I am here to tell you that one negative Debbie/Daryl downer can ruin the vibe in an otherwise positive and productive team. Negative people are toxic to success. They drain others with their constant critical commentary and often manipulate others into spending their valuable energy to “save” them from their own misery. Either way, you’re losing time that could be used working on projects, brainstorming and figuring out your next move. Instead of allowing them to bully you with doubt and “meh” mentality, draw a boundary and don’t engage.

You believe that working the most hours is the only way to “win”

There is a big difference between always working, working hard and working smart. When I hear people bragging that they spent their weekends at their desk or bragging/complaining that they “worked until midnight,” I usually think of the student who waited until the night before to do their paper. The competition between people to work the most is surreal. Think about it: If two people run five miles and one trained, ate well and was able to do it in 30 minutes and another took an hour, which one has it right?

You’re motivated but don’t take action

We have all heard about the effects of placing your gym clothes by the bed as motivation to get up and go as well as the impact of having someone to hold you accountable for showing up where you say you need to be in order to get to where you want to go. While it’s nice to be motivated, the reality is that there will be days when you just don’t feel like doing what you need to do and it is in those times you need to have a plan that pushes you to take action. Whether that’s meeting with a mentor every week to go through task deadlines or paying fines for not showing up to a class or the gym (give them to charity) it helps to have a plan in place for those times you just don’t feel like doing something you know will make your life better.

You don’t know the difference between time and energy

The better you become at something, the more people will take notice. Many of them will want to achieve similar results in their own lives and reach out to you to ask for advice and help on projects. As much as you want to give, the reality is that, even if we can “make time,” we don’t always have the appropriate amount of energy to give away. Goal-getters love to help others achieve. They share information and advice, but they also know that it is OK to tell a friend you cannot work for their company for free or suggest a 15-minute phone call if they don’t really have time to meet for coffee for an hour. Mental and physical energy are essential for reaching your own goals and giving all of it away to the point of exhaustion isn’t a requirement for being “nice.”

You have not worked to create a life and space that helps you thrive

Make no mistake: Your environment matters. When you think about your day-to-day routine, your home, your workspace and your daily interactions, how do you feel? Are you able to find things easily at your desk? Is your home comfortable enough to offer a place to relax at the end of a long day? Do you engage your relationships in a way that feel mutually-supportive? Success is not just about getting things done, it’s about working towards goals while seeing the universe as a force that works for us instead of something we need to push our way through. It’s easier to move forward and deal with setbacks when we feel our life is abundant as opposed to constantly fearing yet another loss.