Peak Performers by Tiffany Uman

How to elevate your career clarity

January 15, 2024

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Change, competition, and transitions are inevitable in your career.

Amidst these factors, career clarity becomes not just a luxury, but a necessity for those striving to become peak performers.

The journey towards understanding and refining your career path is intricate and demands both introspection and strategic action. No matter your stage of career, this is a continuous process of discovery, learning and refinement.

Navigating the variety of career options available to you, while balancing your own goals and market demands can be daunting. Yet, it is through this navigation where you learn more about yourself and the person you must become to achieve the needed clarity of what comes next.

Remember, you do not have to have it all figured out at once. That is part of the fun. Your career is going to evolve naturally just as you do as a person.

So long as each step forward feels aligned, exciting and motivating for you in relation to your values, passions and aspirations, you are moving in the right direction.

However, achieving such clarity is not without its challenges.

You must be prepared to push yourself, dig deep and uncover what it is you really want short-term and long-term. Everything you do today will directly implicate where you go tomorrow, so you want to be intentional, focused and strategic in forging that path.

This may even require leaving old mindsets, behaviours or habits behind that have limited you, so that you can pursue the next levels of growth and success you are meant to achieve.

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." - Andre Gide

For peak performers, elevating their career clarity is not a to-do on a checklist. Rather, it is the gateway for a continuous open loop of growth, new challenges and career fulfillment.

Here's how.

Mistakes preventing you from gaining clarity

In the pursuit of elevating your career clarity, having awareness of potential roadblocks that cost you time, energy and disappointment is just as crucial as knowing the right steps to take.

Here are 5 unfortunate mistakes to avoid so you set yourself up for success:

→ Lack of self-reflection: One of the most significant roadblocks to career clarity is failing to understand your own strengths, weaknesses, passions, and values. Without this self-awareness, it is easy to drift into careers that do not align with your true self. This may also lead you to be overly-influenced by your parents, friends or what society expects of you instead of having conviction in what you actually want for yourself regardless of their opinions.

→ Overvaluing money or status: While compensation and recognition are important, overemphasizing them can lead to career choices that are unfulfilling in the long run. This misalignment often results in burnout and dissatisfaction because you are constantly chasing extrinsic factors that you will always want more of.

→ Ignoring market realities: It is essential to align your career aspirations with the practical demands and opportunities of the job market. When you focus solely on your passions or ideal job roles without acknowledging current and future market trends, this risks pursuing paths with limited growth prospects or declining opportunities. This disconnect can then lead to frustration as the effort you invested may not yield the desired professional or financial outcomes you wanted.

→ Fear of change: The comfort of what you know can be enticing, leading you to stay in unsatisfying roles due to fear of the unknown. This apprehension will lead to stagnation stemming from the comfort of familiarity, rather than venturing into new opportunities that align more closely with your bigger aspirations and abilities. By allowing fear to dictate your career decisions, you miss out on discovering roles that could be more fulfilling, on acquiring new skills, and on experiencing professional rejuvenation.

→ Failure to set effective goals: Without clear, well-defined goals, your career path can become aimless and unfocused, leading to a cycle of unproductive efforts and missed opportunities. Goals are the needed roadmap, guiding you towards your desired destination, while providing a sense of direction and purpose. When these goals are absent or poorly defined, it becomes challenging to measure progress, stay motivated, and make informed decisions about opportunities and career moves that lie ahead. [Check out my recent newsletter on how to set effective goals here!]

3 strategies to elevate your career clarity

1/ Embrace self-discovery

Self-discovery is a process that involves a deep and honest assessment of who you are, what you excel at, what you enjoy, and where you see yourself in the future.

It is about peeling back the layers of your professional persona to uncover your true strengths, weaknesses, passions, and aspirations. By engaging in self-discovery, you gain invaluable insights into your unique capabilities and preferences, which in turn, guide you towards a career path that resonates with your authentic self.

This alignment is crucial for peak performers, as it not only drives excellence and satisfaction in your current role but also illuminates the steps needed to reach your larger and longer-term career goals.

However, self-discovery is not just a one-time event. It is an ongoing process. As your experiences broaden, your life stages evolve and the professional landscape changes, your interests, skills, and goals might also shift.

To effectively embrace self-discovery, use these 5 action steps as your guide:

→ Conduct regular self-assessment audits: Set aside time for regular self-reflection every week, month and quarter. Use tools like personality tests, skill assessments, or journaling to gain deeper insights into your personal and professional self. No one is going to tell you to do this but you must take ownership of it yourself.

→ Seek constructive feedback: Regularly seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, peers, internal leaders, role models, etc. This external perspective can provide a more rounded view of your abilities and areas for improvement, and allow you to see yourself in a different light than you are accustomed to. You can also learn from the experiences of others to help you make more informed decisions on the path(s) you are considering before choosing to shift towards one direction or another.

→ Explore and experiment: Be open to exploring new roles, projects, or learning opportunities. These experiences can reveal unknown strengths or interests. Experimentation is the ultimate tool to push you beyond your comfort zone while also minimizing risk of going all in on something you still have questions about.

For example, if you are considering a change to a different function in your company, instead of shifting completely, ask to work on a project with that team so you can get more familiarized and decide if this is in fact something you want to pursue further.

→ Set personal development goals: Based on your discoveries, set specific goals for personal and professional development with target timelines associated to each. These could include learning new skills, improving existing ones, or expanding your network. This exercise will ensure you fuel yourself with more answers than questions when it comes to your path forward.

→ Reflect and adjust: Regularly review your career path and goals to ensure they align with your current self-assessments. Do you still feel aligned to what you are working towards? Is there a new circumstance that needs to be accounted for? Have you gained new information that presents new opportunities or challenges? Be prepared to make adjustments as needed.

2/ Balance passion with pragmatism

While you are driven by what ignites your enthusiasm and gives you a sense of purpose, it is important to also ground yourself in the practical realities of the job market and industry trends.

Passion fuels motivation and innovation, driving you to excel in your field. However, without a pragmatic approach, there is a risk of pursuing paths that, though fulfilling, might not offer sustainable career opportunities or growth. On the flip side, focusing solely on practical considerations without regard for passion can lead to a lacklustre career lacking inspiration and personal fulfillment.

The key is to find a synergy between the two - letting your passions guide your career direction while staying attuned to the practical aspects that will support your professional growth and stability.

This process involves staying informed about latest industry trends, understanding the demand for specific skills, and being aware of the evolving nature of work in your chosen field. It is about identifying where your passion meets a market need and leveraging this intersection to carve out a niche for yourself. This also allows you to engage in work that excites and fulfills you, while ensuring that your career path is viable and promising.

For peak performers, this balance is critical as it enables them to excel and innovate in their field while building a sustainable and rewarding career path.

And if you are multi-passionate, you can have different parts of your life deliver on each of these so they compliment one another.

For example, perhaps your professional path is one most closely tied to your passions for innovation, creativity and challenge. Whereas your personal path is one that fulfills your passions of generosity and giving back to the community.

Consider the following 3 action steps to support you in this:

→ Do your market research: Regularly research your industry to understand current trends, future projections, blue ocean opportunities and in-demand skills. This will help you identify where your passions can be most effectively applied and where you may want to double-down on your efforts. It will also bring more data into your decision-making versus only relying on your instincts.

→ Develop your transferable skills: Focus on building skills that are valuable across various aspects of your industry and even across industries. Soft skills are key here as these will take you far in the majority of roles you choose to take on (i.e. communication, adaptability, organization, time management, collaboration, etc.). This not only supports your current passion-driven endeavours but also provides flexibility for future changes in the market.

→ Create a strategic career plan: Develop a plan that incorporates both your passions and practical considerations. This plan should include short-term and long-term goals, with flexibility to adjust as the market and your interests evolve. You can steer away from the plan but the pure nature of having one versus not having one at all, will help you remain focused and accountable.

3/ Blend intrinsic and extrinsic motivators

Intrinsic motivation comes from within – it is driven by personal satisfaction, passion, and the joy of mastery in your field. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is fuelled by external rewards such as salary, title, status, or recognition.

While extrinsic rewards can be powerful motivators, they often do not sustain long-term satisfaction and engagement. In contrast, intrinsic motivation tends to be more enduring and can lead to deeper fulfillment and resilience in the face of challenges.

Your career clarity should ideally be inspired by a combination of both, but the weighting of each can vary as you grow and evolve throughout your different career phases.

For peak performers, this balance ensures that while external rewards provide immediate incentives and recognition, it is the intrinsic drivers that underpin long-term career growth and satisfaction.

Start by regularly reflecting on what truly motivates you in your work. Is it the challenge, the learning opportunities, the ability to innovate, or the impact of your work? Understanding these intrinsic drivers can help guide your career decisions towards roles and paths that resonate with your core values and passions.

Simultaneously, it is practical to acknowledge and strategically pursue the extrinsic rewards that are important to you, whether they are financial goals, titles, or other forms of recognition. This dual focus allows you to enjoy the immediate benefits of your work while building a career that is deeply rewarding in the long run.

Here are 3 steps to help you put this into action:

→ Reflect on your core values: Take time to understand what intrinsically motivates you and why it motivates you in this way. This will help you identify a roadmap of must-have factors in your selection of roles, workplace and culture. On top of that, it will allow you to articulate this well to your manager, colleagues and leadership team so your mandates remain in line with the things that matter to you most, and fuel higher motivation levels as a result.

→ Set both types of goals: Establish goals that cater to both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. For example, aim for a certain salary or title (extrinsic), while also pursuing projects that align with your values (intrinsic). At different stages of your career, you may feel more weighting on your extrinsic drivers versus intrinsic drivers, and that is okay. Use this to fuel the clarity on your immediate next steps.

→ Cultivate intrinsic motivation: Actively work on cultivating your intrinsic motivation by engaging in professional development, seeking feedback, and taking on challenging tasks that align with your interests. The more you level up and prioritize intrinsic drivers, the more happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction you will feel in your career journey.

How will you choose to elevate your career clarity?

Career clarity is not an overnight feat but a continuous process of introspection, adjustment, and growth. And yet, this clarity is the cornerstone upon which peak performers build their success.

The journey to career clarity is as unique as you are. What works for one may not work for another, and that is absolutely okay. The key is to stay true to yourself, remain adaptable, and keep moving forward. As you continue on your path, let your newfound clarity guide you towards a career that is not only successful but also deeply fulfilling.

You've got this!

This week's mission is aimed at helping you elevate your career clarity. The below reflections are designed for you dig deep on what matters to you most and move towards targeted action that will open up possibilities and direction on your path forward.

1/ Implement your self-discovery prompts:

Conduct a self-assessment audit on where you are at, what you are feeling and what changes you want to see for yourself.
From here, determine 1 action to experiment to give you more insight on the direction you are thinking to pursue.
Seek feedback where necessary to further inform your decision making in this.

2/ Balance passion with pragmatism:

Given the possible paths you are considering, use this week to do market research to understand current trends, blue ocean opportunities and in-demand skills.
From here, outline your transferrable skills that would pair well with your track record to facilitate these possible next moves.
Create your strategic plan with both short-term and long-term goals in mind that integrate your passions and new insights gained from the above 2 action steps.

3/ Get clear on your motivators:

Outline the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that matter to you most.
Rank them in terms of importance so you can give them a weighted scale out of 100%.
Use this as a roadmap for evaluating new opportunities and paths as you elevate your clarity of what's possible for you.

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