Take responsibility for yourself. The first real task you must take on is to accept that, when it comes to your life situation, the buck stops with you. Being willing to own your life is the foundation for all success. It is now widely recognised that your career is your responsibility, not any one else’s, including your current your employer.

Specifically you need to take responsibility for:
• Your career (others can help but no one can tell you what is right for you – it’s your life)
• Your employability (the only real job security is the career security that comes from offering up-to-date skills that are still in demand)
• Your ‘programming’ (parental influences and social conditioning).

Successful people accept responsibility to improve themselves, their career, and their situation in life. Unsuccessful people blame everything on everyone else: the government, their parents, the schools, the economy, the weather, or the lack of jobs. Successful people focus on what they CAN do given the circumstances they find themselves in. Simple? Yes! Powerful? Absolutely! Easy? No! It takes dedication, time, and effort!

So… are you taking responsibility for yourself?

Think about the following… Are you able to: Take responsibility, think of solutions, look for lessons, keep your personal power.

You need to avoid doing this instead: Blame others, make excuses, complain, give away power (be a victim).

Here are some questions for you.

Quietly, calmly, look over the following questions. In doing so, observe your emotional response. Don’t ask too much of your brain just yet. At this stage it’s not really necessary to provide any detailed answers.

1. Are my attitudes, beliefs or behaviours limiting or even sabotaging my career?

2. Do I know what my best skills are and what I want in return?

3. Are my career goals clear? Do I have a grasp on my short, medium, and long-term goals and plans?

4. Am I going to work thinking it is my employer’s fault that I’m not happy in my job?

5. Is my life in balance? How are other areas of my life going – partner, family, health, finances, etc.?

6. Am I over-stressed?

7. Am I getting good feedback from my employer and/or clients that I am adding value and developing myself appropriately?

8. Is my position, department, organisation or industry in danger of decline?

9. Are there better options out there for me? What are they?

10. Am I maintaining and expanding my network of acquaintances to keep me informed of opportunities?

11. Am I doing the same thing that I was doing five years ago?

12. What have I learnt in the last six months? Am I developing professionally?

13. When was the last time I reviewed my career action options with my current employer – project work, new tasks, reduced responsibilities and stress, relocation, promotion, lateral moves and new position proposals?

14. Am I taking action or procrastinating?

15. When was the last time I felt really excited about my work?

16. Am I enjoying what I do?

17. Am I accepting responsibility for my life?

Good luck in moving forward – it’s the decisions that you make today that will shape your future.