We are continually reminded of the “new normal” and the fight to return business to the way it was, as if it could ever be. The news can get grim while working from home, especially if it seems like there is no end in sight to the current pandemic and other societal issues. The news is not only a source of frustration, employment certainty has evaporated for many industries and careers. It seems as if a person who has a job has the only future available now, and to dream of anything else is to expect too much.
However, it is possible to think ahead, even in the seemingly worst of circumstances, whether or not you work at home, are uncertain of a job in the coming months, and are or are not currently employed. The challenge is to overcome the natural barriers that your mind creates when you feel the weight of the circumstances around you, from national and international crises, to your own personal and professional issues. When there are so many issues and problems vying for your attention, it weighs heavily on your mind, creating a sense of tug-of-war. You seem to be pushed from one headline to another, your attention continually shifting from one troubling idea to another.
When you create mental barriers, you interrupt your own development and this is what prevents you from being ready for new opportunities. As an educator and career coach, I have used the phrase ready for opportunity to not only refer to future career opportunities that may come your way, but also opportunities that are available now within your current career. For example, I always care about my well-being and morale as an educator, knowing that I want to be ready for my employer’s opportunities, ready to accept the challenges and opportunities that are a natural part of the position. You can also develop this same state of mind when you break down any barriers to growth that are present now.
Natural and intentional growth
You grow naturally without thinking, on a subconscious level. This happens through time on the job and the experience you gain, along with the skills you acquire. You can’t help but grow on some level, whether you’re aware of it or not. Even if you’re doing the same job, day in and day out, and it seems like you’ve stagnated in that position, you’re still growing to some degree. Consider the knowledge you’ve gained, even if it’s through trial and error, customer interactions, problem solving, and working on projects. You have evolved, whether you can see it or not right now.
There is also intentional growth, or the kind of growth that you are aware of and intentionally pursue. It can be formal education, or the type of education obtained within a classroom setting. This type of growth can also occur by reading, attending a webinar, trying a new project, or consciously engaging in any other similar endeavor. When you intend to seek new knowledge or gain new skills, the purpose may be to benefit your current job or future career. Accumulating your knowledge helps create a competitive advantage, along with a sense of being proactive in your career.
Discovering your barriers to growth
As an educator and professional counselor, what I have learned through my work with students and clients is that barriers to growth can be summed up in two main categories, beliefs and acceptance. Even those who have seemingly been well focused and able to develop goals can still find themselves caught up in current events and need to work through sticking points.
Belief-focused barriers: One of the common barriers centers on the belief that a person’s life and/or career will not, cannot, or will not change. This is a product of time, effort and habits of mind. If you’ve been trying to improve your life, create new plans, initiate changes, or try to find a new career path, and nothing seems to be going the way you’d like, then it can be easy to develop a negative belief.
The default settings seem to be this: see, believe, prove. It translates to: I see results of my effort, then if everything goes well, I believe in myself and try again. The opposite is also true: if I don’t see the results of my effort, I won’t believe in myself and may not try again.
Barriers focused on acceptance: Most of the people I work with who have this kind of barrier are prone to accept reality as it is now and cannot see any hope of change in the future. Developing barriers based on reality is even more challenging now during a pandemic when the certainty of resolution is unknown.
Anyone who struggles with fear of the future and becomes mentally paralyzed from being unable to take action because they see no hope has those feelings amplified to a much greater degree now. There seems to be no escaping the reminders of the desolation the world is facing either, as the worst of the crisis is ever present in the news and advertisements remind us that we are isolated at home. It can be easy to eventually succumb to the feeling that life is not going to get any better.
Breaking Barriers to Growth
Often we keep hitting the same wall, until we realize we are stuck. To overcome any mental barrier, you must be willing to admit that something is not working for you right now. It is not a matter of right or wrong, ego, pride or admission of failure. It is being able to continue evolving, both personally and professionally. You can simply say, “Somehow I feel stuck and I want to make improvements.” This is how the process of discovering obstacles begins, as you cannot change the external or the circumstances that surround your life, but you can change the internal factors that are holding you back.
Self-assessment and self-discovery
In order to discover your barriers, you need to start by doing what you may feel most uncomfortable with, and that is admitting that you need to self-examine your thinking. This will start a self-assessment process, which in turn can lead you through self-discovery. The only reason obstacles exist is because of established thought patterns in the mind.
Consider this example: The mind initiates a series of steps that create habitual thinking, which leads to chronic patterns of how you act while interacting with others in the workplace and how you do your job. There is a logical component to these steps, as needed to complete the required tasks; however, there are aspects involved that require ability, and this is where your beliefs come in. Self-assessment, using reflection as a tool to assess yourself, will help uncover those beliefs. It’s not about being weak when you need to determine why you’re mentally stuck, it’s about showing yourself that you want to grow.
Implement this strategy: To help you get started, I recommend that you create an event log, or rather an event graph. The events you need to keep track of during each day are tasks, requirements, homework, projects, and anything else you’ve been consciously asked to do in your job. This is the first column of the events graph.
The second column will be the self-reflection reactions. I recommend that you record your self-reflection reactions at the end of the day, when you have time to think about how you responded to tasks, requirements, homework, projects, and anything else noted on your event log or chart. Take the time to write down your initial reaction, along with any final actions you have taken.
The third and last column of your event log or graph should be labeled autofocus. You can complete this column at the end of the day, or perhaps you could complete it at the end of the week, after you have given yourself even more time to reflect. This column will give you the opportunity to answer the following questions for each entry within the event log or graph: Was this the best answer? Did this answer lead to the best possible result? Was there a better answer and possible outcome? If so, what was it?
From this event log, you can develop an action plan. My recommendation is that you create a set of statements to acknowledge your newfound wisdom. The following guidelines can help you get started:
I have learned…
Now I know this about myself…
I have to improve…
I discovered that I am able to…
I plan to choose this type of reaction in the future…
All of this may seem like too much of a stretch for the average person to complete. However, we live in a time when external “noise” is so strong, including the technology used, that we must find a way to pay attention to what is going on in our minds. This is where the path to success can be found, by learning to evaluate ourselves from the inside out.
Preparing for the opportunity
Once you’ve decided to take a proactive approach to evaluating your mindset, you’ll find yourself better positioned for future opportunities. This does not imply that you are going to start a job search, but it does mean that you are prepared to perform at your best now, and by doing so, you are ready for the opportunity. The success of many employers now depends on the performance of their employees. Your willingness to perform at your best not only makes you shine, it contributes to the success and longevity of your employer, and may also be setting you up for future opportunities. But no matter what reason you’ve broken down the barriers to your growth, you should always do it first and foremost for your own benefit and mental well-being. Starting each day with a sense of hope and a willingness to fully participate in whatever task comes your way, regardless of the circumstances, can be one of the most rewarding feelings you’ll ever experience.