All of us experience complications and glitches at various times in our lives.
We get financially stretched, we have difficult relationships to manage, we have health issues that may crop up, and we would have had to face the loss of one. In our daily lives, one of the biggest dilemmas we all have to deal with is in our work lives.
When reflecting on our career, we need to figure out how "happiness" is obtained.
Happiness is both a state of mind and an emotion. So, when you try to work out if you are satisfied with your career, you will need to see if it is a source of happiness for you.
Are you "committed" to your work? To manage any difficulties at work, you will need to be fully involved.
There is a difference between.not interested in something and being committed to.
Remember, if you are just interested in something, you will do what is convenient for you. But if you are actually committed to it, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Therefore, at work, you need commitment.
In difficult times, with your work, you must not do that which is only easy or expedient. You need to be committed to doing anything and everything it takes to make things better for you.
Every successful entrepreneur I have ever known displays total commitment to what they believe in or the business they run. It is this mindset that manifests in everything they do.
The classic definition of being committed at work is about the enthusiasm an employee has towards their assigned tasks. It is the feeling of responsibility that the employee has towards the goals, mission, and vision of their organisation.
How do you show commitment, especially in times of difficulty?
*Be adaptable.*
Can you adapt when someone throws you a curveball, or are you inflexible in the way you work? The ability to change when needed is important in the workplace. And, for nearly all employers, this is crucial in modern times.
The way businesses and organisations are being forced to operate means that problems, changes, and roadblocks will be the norm. Being agile enough to adapt, and to shift gears to handle those issues reduces their impact. Flexibility makes you valuable.
*Be dependable.*
In your family circle, or at the workplace, you know the people you can rely on, and you also know the ones who usually run late, fail to deliver what they promise, or otherwise come up short.
When you make sure that you are that dependable employee at the workplace, it showcases you in a positive light with both your leaders, and your co-workers. It makes an eminently suitable candidate, not only for promotions, but, more importantly, to retain when there are cutbacks or downsizing.
Simple things like whether you show up on time indicate your reliability.
Being dependable also shows in your work. If you are reliable, you will deliver work on time, and meet the required standards. When you regularly miss deadlines, or send in shoddy work, you just lose your own value.
*Be straightforward.*
Being forthright is critical in all our work responsibilities. As an employee, your actions reflect on the company and contribute to its reputation. By working to build a positive reputation, you help the company become stronger, which gives you job security.
Remember, it is hard to build trust but very easy to lose it, especially when you are caught lying or fiddling. You need to show that you are someone who can be trusted with important work tasks.
Adaptability, dependability, and straightforwardness show your commitment to work.
If you want to retain your job and grow, remind yourself that it all starts with your mindset. Limiting beliefs, self-doubt, and the tendency to conjure up excuses will simply diminish your standing at the workplace.
If you want to know whether you are just interested in your career or actually committed to it; think about what you have done today, this week, and perhaps over the past year. Your actions actually reveal the answer.
I repeatedly remind the people I work with, coach, and train that our sense of purpose is shaped by the things we believe in, and value. When we have a strong sense of purpose, we develop a personal code of behaviour. And, our connection to purpose will help us live by these beliefs, and values.