It is extremely challenging in corporate America to climb to the top of the ladder of success. Really, how many people can fit on that top rung?? A frighteningly small number of positions that are wanted by a frighteningly large group of people. Clearly the higher one moves up the ladder, the more difficult it gets. Yet the messages constantly being communicated to us include “do whatever it takes to win”, “winners never quit” and “beat out the competition”. That puts tremendous pressured to move forward, move up and achieve those corporate goals. What is the reward when you do hit those goals ( which most likely were set for you by someone else )? “Stretch” goals for the next month/quarter/year! The fortunate few might get a promotion, though often that means even more pressure to achieve.
So how is YOUR climb going? Find yourself muttering any of the following?
“When the promotion comes, THEN I will be happier”
“Once I get that raise, THEN I can enjoy some time with my spouse/kid(s)/friends”
“If my team hits their goals, THEN I will be a lot easier to deal with”
“When I am the CEO, THEN things will be different around here”
If you said “yes” to any of the statements above, ask yourself this: Really?
Won’t there be another promotion to go after? Another raise to get? Ever higher goals to achieve??? So how CAN one enjoy the journey up the ladder of success?? You can’t control the circumstances you find yourself in, you can’t control what other people will say or do, you can’t control decisions made by the owner or President of the company. The one thing that you CAN control on your journey is your attitude. That doesn’t mean “don’t worry, be happy” (sorry if that song is now stuck in your head!), but if you take the time to focus on what you have and what you have accomplished, you give yourself the chance to “enjoy the scenery” along the way. It is just that “enjoying of the scenery”being grateful for what you have and have accomplishedthat brings about a more positive attitude. Take a moment right now to focus on what you DO have..and what you HAVE accomplished. If you are feeling challenged and finding it difficult to appreciate what you have, here is a bit of perspective to help:
* If you are reading this, you are literate. 1 out of every 5 people on the planet over the age of 15 cannot read or write.
* If you are reading this, you have your sense of sight. Forty million people do not have their sense of sight.
* You have access to a computer if you are reading this. Five BILLION people have no access to the internet
* If you are reading this, you have some “free time” that is not being spent trying to figure out where your next meal will come from. There are 800 MILLION people on the planet suffering from hunger and malnutrition.
Finding things in your life to be grateful for becomes easier and easier the more you practice it. This gratefulness for what you have, and for what you have accomplished, will positively shift how you see and experience your journey up the corporate ladder. Your attitude WILL be positively impacted and it will shine through in every interaction you have and in everything that you do. Don’t be surprised if people who know you comment on this change….it can be pretty dramatic! Finally, if you really cannot find enough to appreciate on your climb up the corporate ladder of success, then maybe its time to get off the ladder and discover a different path.
Steve Sheeren has been training and coaching individuals and corporations around North America for the last 15+ years. He freely shares his expertise and resources for both corporate and home-based business, which includes an authentic option to climbing the corporate ladder.
Tags: business, climbing the corporate ladder, corporate development, journey, Personal development, pressure, self improvement, success
Leave A Reply (No comments So Far)
No comments yet