I have been in corporate for 24 years, and as I get
ready to leave that chapter of my life, I’ve reflected on the most important
life lessons that came out of it.
These are lessons that I’ve learnt in the workplace
that translated well to life in general.
1. Have faith and confidence in yourself
Imposter syndrome is real, and if you don’t have the faith
and confidence in yourself it will show in the things that you do. That becomes a vicious cycle that will make you
doubt your skills.
2. Admit when you don’t know something, and make sure you find out the answer
It’s ok to admit if you don’t know something. The mistake though is to leave it there. If you don’t know something, make a point of finding
out the answer and getting back to the person asking the question.
3. You can’t please everyone, all of the time
You really can’t make everyone happy all of the time. Be ok with this as long as you know that
you’ve given your best.
4. Know who you can go to for support and be the person that others can go to for support
Its important to know who you can go to for support. Try to be the person that others can come to
for support as well. Use your
experiences to help others get through what they need to.
5. Listen to advice but make your own decisions
Some people will bombard you with advice. Listen to their advice and use it to make
your own decisions.
6. Do work that you are proud of
At the end of the day, you should be proud of the effort
that you’ve put in, whether it’s at work or at home, whether it’s on a project or
in life in general.
7. Don’t let your job or job title become your identity
There is more to life than your job. We do need to work to earn an income and to
make sure that we have a roof over our heads and food on the table, but don’t
fall into the trap of thinking that this is all your life is about. Remember who you are and do things that you
enjoy. Have a hobby or spend time with
those close to you.
8. Your journey can be different to someone else’s
Especially when you first join an organisation, you will be
compared to your predecessor and how he/she did things. Even in life, don’t waste time comparing
yourself to others, know that your journey can be different and make it your
own.
9. Your growth and development are your responsibility
No one will force you to learn new things. Most organisations offer training to staff,
but at the end of the day your growth and development is your
responsibility. Always look for
opportunities to learn new things not just from training but from experiences
and even from failures.
10. You have to do the work to get to where you want to go
If you have a goal, you have to put in the work to achieve
that goal. You can either make big
changes or make consistent small changes to get to it as long as you put in the
effort.
If you need support to achieve your goal, go to the
contact page or send me an email to book an introductory call.