3 Career Mistakes that are Costing You

Are you building your career in the most effective way possible? Ever wonder what your career mistakes might be costing you?

In this article, you'll learn about three career mistakes that are costing you. And by costing you, I mean financially…but also emotionally.

You may or may not be aware that the source of your success is invisible, and your success starts in your mind. Your thinking happens at a subtle level…which means you don't "see it."  To clarify this, imagine a cell-phone frequency. You don’t see the cell-phone frequency because it’s subtle and invisible to the eye. But you know it’s real because you connect to others through your cell phone. Your thinking works in the same way. Thinking is potent energy. And that's why mindset is key.

As a high-achiever, you've probably already achieved a high level of success. You may already be earning six figures. You’re probably putting in long hours, and bringing years of experience to your career. What you want to make certain is that you are getting a high ROI on your life for the investment you’re making in your career. And that ROI shows up in your bank-account and wealth, how you feel and in the quality of your life. You deserve a high ROI!

Today, I’d like to share with you three career mistakes that I see over and over again, in my conversations with high-achieving individuals, that may be costing you money and stress. My purpose today is to heighten your awareness and help you change habitual patterns that aren’t serving you.

 Career Mistake #1

• You focus too much on your present results

As a mindset coach, a foundational truth I teach is that your thoughts and beliefs create your reality. This circles back to my earlier comment that your thinking is potent energy. And your current results are a reflection of your prior thinking. Therefore, focusing too much on your present results can be especially counterproductive when you know that you can be doing better. You are probably dwelling too much on your results and, more specifically, on what’s not working. When you do that, you’re creating more of that. 

The way to correct this mistake is to have bold, meaningful goals and become enthusiastic about going after them. And by bold, meaningful goals, I mean something that really lights a fire in your belly...something that you really, really want, that you haven’t yet achieved. This is important because it’s going to push you to grow.

“If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you,” said Steve Jobs. In other words, going after something you really, really want is going to energize you from the inside-out. And if you work for an organization, be sure that you are inspired by their goals or mission.

When I look back on my career and especially my years in the corporate world, I realize now that I lacked some fundamental mindset tools. For example, even though I had a lot of success in my corporate career and had large dreams for my life,  I had a tendency to play too small and focus on what wasn’t working for me rather than on what was possible. In retrospect now, I realize that cost me real money and a lot of frustration.

Career Mistake #2  

• You expect others to automatically reward you

Here are some statements that I hear over and over again in my conversations with high-achieving individuals like you:

“I was passed over a promotion”

“I didn’t get the bonus I expected”

“My compensation doesn’t reflect what I’m capable of”

"I don't feel validated and respected"

“I lost my best customer this year"

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people automatically noticed you, recognized you, gave you the validation and respect you deserve, and that you were always rewarded and compensated at levels worthy of your talents and experience?

The problem is, that mindset is passive in nature and it’s a big mistake. My father had a fulfilling career as an executive for an international company and he was there for 35 years. He retired in 1989. I’m sharing this information because, in today's world, that level of loyalty between employers and employees is becoming something of the past. In today’s world, you must see yourself as the CEO of your career and life. You must make an active investment in your career, not just in the short-term but for the long-term. And it starts with your mindset, with being 100% responsible for your career advancement and your life. 

You must see your career and life as a marathon, not a sprint. And especially in today’s world of rapid change, you must intelligently lead yourself.  It's essential that you be be visible, and continually bring value to your organization or your clients.

There’s a law of compensation that I learned from one of my teachers, Bob Proctor. What is the law of compensation? It's exact, and it states:

The amount of money you earn is always going to be an exact ratio to:

1) the need for what you do

2) your ability to do it

3) the difficulty there is in replacing you

Assuming there’s a need for what you do (#1), in order to become difficult to replace (#3), you must improve your ability (#2). You must keep growing and bringing more value because if you don’t, it will be costing you financially and emotionally. In other words, you must keep growing and getting better (#2), and play an active part in making yourself difficult to replace (#3).

"Don't wish it was easier, wish you were better," advised Jim Rohn.

Career Mistake #3

• You don't have enough of the right support

I was very blessed because during my corporate career because I had excellent mentors who guided me and from whom I learned a lot. But as I became more senior, I felt like I lacked a roadmap for my advancement and success, and I ended up leaving the corporate world.

You probably have well-intentioned people in your life - perhaps your spouse or significant-other, or maybe your best friends and colleagues - who are willing to give you advice. Perhaps your organization offers leadership training or formal mentoring. 

But unless these people know themselves and are successfully leading themselves, including investing time in learning mindset and success principles, you don’t have enough of the right support.  

In order to make dramatic improvements in your career and life, you’ve got to have the right support. This means guidance from people who can show you the way.

And your success starts inside of you. So how do you avoid Mistake #3, and make sure you have enough  of the right support? Since about 2005, I have selectively invested in coaches, mentors, accountability partners and mastermind groups.  Over the last 10+ years, I consistently sought out and have had these people in my life. I am committed to this investment in the future because of the high ROI it's delivering in my life. These are people who are skilled and knowledgable about mindset and success principles, and actively using them and demonstrating them in their own lives. Having the right support is what allowed me to build a coaching business touching thousands of lives. And now I teach these same principles to my clients.

In the past, lack of the right support cost me a lot of money and stress!

Don't make that mistake. Invest in the right support. Your success starts in your mind and by the application of success principles, and it’s vital that you have people in your life who can guide you, mentor you and show you the way.

And because I want you to avoid the struggles, frustration and financial costs I experienced is the reason I am dedicated to my work as a Performance and Mindset Coach. More specifically, I help high-achieving individuals like you who are tired of playing small, to rapidly advance your career without sacrificing the life you dream of. 

In this article, you learned about three career mistakes that are costing you both financially and emotionally. You might want to go back and read this article again. Allow this information to serve as a wake-up call to you. You deserve a high ROI on your career!