It’s 2016, and there’s got to be something to add in your New Year’s resolutions with a hope that you and I will keep it till the end of the year (fingers crossed!) If you are now working for a boss, I’m sure you’ve already had things that you want to do this year to forward your career and take it to the next level – a promotion and a raise, perhaps? But you shouldn’t only focus on things that evolve around your job; it’s time to focus on your professional development; on becoming a better professional – and a more valuable asset to your company.
While you’re at it, let me suggest one more item to add in your New Year’s resolutions: Stop complaining. What does it mean, and why it matters in your career? Read on.
2016 will be an exciting year: Political showdowns, economic uncertainty, tougher job market, and trends that shift your responsibilities and quite possibly your career’s direction. Everything changes, and there’s none that you can do but adapt.
You see, complaining and feeling entitled is so last season; it’s time to make 2016 a proving ground for your worth as a valuable employee, in such a way that it’s a big loss for your company to let you go to work for the competitor. How to get there? The answer is by killing the complain bug, which strongly relates to the entitlement bug.
Yes – it’s time to change your mindset and break free from the entitlement mentality – and to achieve your career success – whatever you define “success” as.
But to banish the entitlement mentality, there are some misleading beliefs that you should address – and change. It’s not an easy task, but it’s worth trying.
“I should get X because I deserve it when I do Y”
The above it the typical formula for entitlement mentality. “I should get a raise because I deserve it when I work so hard.” “I should get promoted because I deserve it when I meet sales target.” “I should get that Most Valuable Employee badge – and a bonus – because I deserve it when I perform better than the other 100 employees.”
It’s not wrong to have hopes; but when hopes become jealousy, dissatisfaction and so on, they will only do no good to your career’s health.
Of course, there are possibilities when you are treated badly and unfairly by your boss – but that’s a whole different story; when you realize that you complain because you’re feel entitled, you know that it’s not the same thing.
Indeed, self-awareness is the key in changing your complaining mindset.
Theories/advice/wise words seem great, but those are often not practical
I could spew theories/advice/wise words/quotes on how to stop complaining and start achieving the success that you deserve – but sometimes, those are just sweet words, that when you falsely believe them, those can backfire.
Some, like “Do what you love and you’ll never work again,” seem great in theory, and it’s definitely an intriguing myth that many of us have fallen prey to at some point. That is, until we realize that even doing what we love entails some conscious effort on our part. There will be dark days, and we will get caught up doing menial things that leave us gagging for the end of the day to come sooner rather than later. Not good.
You see, doing what you love doesn’t automatically entitle you the Director role; it doesn’t entitle you $500,000 annual salary; it doesn’t entitle you fancy cars and minimalistic 2-story house; it doesn’t entitle you… happiness.
In reality, doing what you love still means that you need to work hard to get to where you want. Doing what you love still requires you to work overtime. Doing what you love still requires you to… work.
So, do what you love, work hard and smart, and build relationships with your colleagues, bosses, and clients. Those can get you closer to success; complaining can’t.
Then there are other seemingly innocuous falsehoods like “An honest day’s work equals an honest day’s pay.” Who, may I ask, can tell me what an honest day’s work actually entails? Is a day in the work life of Katy Perry somehow more honest or pure than mine? She makes $135-million a year; the income from my business is embarrassing by her standard.
So, how should I respond? Should I sulk in the corner of my office pitying myself? No. Should I rant on social media about inequality issues? No.
Instead, I have to train myself to consciously believe that I do a great job in helping people achieve their goals, and what I get in return is much more than the currency in my bank account: I get personal satisfaction; I get new business connections. I get the well-sought-after happiness. Not by making $135 million, but by achieving milestones after milestones – by my standard.
An exception
However, while myths like those mentioned above aren’t 100% accurate all the time, they do hold an element of truth to them, and if followed will lead to a happier, more productive and more successful you in the long run. Again, it’s all about your mindset.
Takeaway
I understand that making excuses, feeling entitled and complaining is humane. However, we do need to manage those if we want to achieve the coveted career success. It’s not an easy task, but believe that if you take action today, chances are you’ll reap what you sow.
You see, complaining is easy, but doing what you should be doing is hard. So, curb your complaining, and start proving your worth.
So, are you ready to be the most valuable asset to your company?
