5 Reasons Why You Need To Know Yourself First — Before Your Career Can Thrive
Rushing into a high-powered career is tempting, but it'll pay to slow down. Here's why.
getty You know that woman you want to become? The one who seems to have the career and work life of her dreams? What does she have that you don’t? Probably nothing.
Because the key to true career success begins with knowing yourself.
Of course, knowing yourself is the key to success in every area of one’s life. Unless you really know who you are, what you are good at, and what you want, you can never truly succeed.
This is especially true for achieving career success. So why does true career success begin with knowing yourself?
1. You will choose a career in which you can succeed.
If you know yourself you will know what kind of career will match your strengths and passions.
If you know yourself you will know what you are good at. Are you a big thinker or perhaps better at fine details? Are you creative or more analytical?
If you know yourself you will know what your passions are. Are you inspired to help other people? Are you drawn to the arts or to the sciences? What makes you really want to get out of bed in the morning?
If you know yourself you know that if you don’t bring your best, most passionate self to any career you won’t succeed.
2. You will have confidence that you will get the job done.
If you know yourself you will have the self-confidence necessary to get a job done and get it done well.
If you know yourself you will know what you are good at and what you are passionate about and you will choose a career path that will align with what you know. As a result, you will have no doubt about your ability to get things done.
Furthermore, a self-confident woman is a force to be reckoned in the workplace because she can hold her own in a man’s world, no easy feat in many cases.
3. You will achieve work/life balance.
If you know yourself, you will more easily achieve a work/life balance, a key to career success.
For many years it was believed that the harder we worked the more successful we became. And, while hard work is very important, so is having a quality life outside of work.
If you know yourself, then you will be able to look at your career and your personal life, define what are priorities for you, and make them happen.
Is it important to you that you get some exercise every day? Is it important that you be the first one into work in the morning? Is it important that you get home in time for dinner? Is it important that you go out one night a week with your co-workers?
If you know yourself, you will be more readily able to define what you need for success in all areas of your life and make a plan to make sure that all of your needs are met.
4. You will know how much you can handle.
If you know yourself then you will have a clear understanding of just how much work you can handle.
Many women are guilty of biting off more then they can chew because they believe that they are the only one who can get the job done and get it done well.
If you know yourself you will have a clear understanding of how much you can take on without overwhelming yourself. This is important because if you are overwhelmed you won’t get the job done well and you will not be able to achieve good work/life balance.
And if you know how much work you can manage successfully then you will be more likely to achieve career success.
5. You will know your value in the workplace.
If you know yourself you will have a clear understanding of the value that you bring to your workplace.
If you know yourself you have a hold of your financial needs and therefore can make some good decisions regarding the work that you do.
Many of us take on jobs that do not give us the financial security that we need. As a result, we either take on another job or we live with the knowledge that we are barely making ends meet. Neither one of these things are conducive to getting a job done well.
So be clear with yourself as to what you need to live in the manner to which you are accustomed. And don’t be afraid to speak up to the powers that be about what you are worth.
A woman who knows herself knows her value to her employers and isn't afraid to say it.
True career success begins with knowing yourself.
Before you begin your job search take some time to inventory yourself. What are you good at? What are your passions?
Armed with this information you will have the self-confidence to go forth in the world and find work at which you will succeed.
Once you have the job of your dreams, if you who know yourself, you will take on no more than you can handle so that you have a work/life balance that will allow you to succeed in all areas of your life.
So get to know yourself today. You will be happy you did!
Mitzi Bockmann is an NYC-based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. Her writing has been published in The Huffington Post, Prevention Magazine, The Good Man Project, among others. She works exclusively with women to help them to be all that they want to be in this crazy world in which we live. Looking for more ways to succeed at work? Contact her now and she can help!