You want to be successful in your career but feel you aren’t moving fast enough or are stuck in your current position. Maybe the problem isn’t the job, your manager or lack of opportunity. You may be unconsciously sabotaging your career with one of these mistakes.

1)       Fear of change

2)       Lack of focus

3)       Going it alone

4)       Not playing to strengths

5)       Thinking small

 

Fear of change. That promotion or new assignment looks attractive but will take you out of your comfort zone. You will lose the safety and security of having everyone know your capabilities and track record. You have the unconscious fear that you are not totally prepared to handle the new responsibilities or have the skills to succeed in the job. Conquer this by letting go of your current identity and creating a vision of yourself as successful in the new job. Reflect on the success that you had in learning your current job and recognize that you have the skills to meet the new challenges.

 Lack of focus. You don’t have a career plan and accept each assignment as it comes to you. This gives you an excuse to blame management for not giving you the opportunities to succeed. To conquer this fear, take ownership of your career. Write your goals down and create a skills map which identifies what you need to learn and experience in order to achieve your goals. Map each assignment to those skills and experience and ask for projects that will help you fill the gaps. Each assignment should help you learn a new skill or build a new relationship that supports your long term goals.

Going it alone. This fear masquerades as false confidence. You think you know everything that is required to achieve your goals so you don't ask for help or you are embarrassed to ask for help.  The danger of not asking for assistance is the loss of objectivity as well as missed opportunities. Leveraging the wisdom of others help you accelerate your learning. You don't re-invent the wheel. To conquer this one, build a support team of contacts inside and outside of your company, to include trusted mentors, coaches and peers who will give you constructive feedback, information and recommendations.

Not playing to strengths. We each have aspects of our jobs that we love and are experts in and other areas that we don’t like or have average skills. It's a mistake to focus too much on those less than average skills where we have no desire and perhaps no ability to become an expert. Rather, focus on those areas where you are really good and become known for that. Be the person that everyone thinks about and asks for to handle a particular task or job.

Thinking small.  This one is a variation on the Fear of change. You question whether you are ready to take on a leadership role or challenging assignment. You hesitate to advertise yourself as the expert in a particular skill. Conscious and unconscious fears and anxieties kick in. The author and lecturer, Marianne Williamson says “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? ". To conquer this fear, start taking small steps outside of your comfort zone. Volunteer for extra work within your current team. Ask for the ability to shadow someone who currently has the job to which you aspire. Watch not only what they do but how they do it and incorporate what you learned.

To conquer the fears of success, acknowledge both the positive and the negative consequences of playing a bigger game. Think about what you will gain and lose if you are successful. Get guidance and support from mentors and coaches. Most importantly, identify a career goal and actively work towards it.