Overthinking your career

“Maybe you should stop overthinking so much and trust the way life happens. Things change. Every year you grow into someone else and you should always welcome all the things that make you feel free”
– R M Drake

In my 20s I was a terrible overthinker.

I was very passionate about growing my career and climbing the ladder felt really really important.

It often consumed my thoughts from dawn ’til dusk, and sometimes even the hours in between. Upon reflection it was not healthy, and instead of being constructive, it was at times debilitating.

Thankfully I achieved the goals I had set for myself but I have no doubt that the journey was so much harder than it needed to be. If only I had trusted that life would happen the way it was supposed to.

My commitment to my goals need not have changed but the way I thought about it could have.

So let me ask you this, are your thoughts your friend or foe?

If the latter, then maybe it’s time to tune out from the internal dialogue and focus on the activity and behaviours that will lead to the outcome you desire. The final destination should remain the same but the journey will be so much more enjoyable.

So, where to from here? How do you reduce worrying about the future and ruminating about the past? Some things that I do are:

• Observe your thoughts.
  Being aware of destructive thought patterns is the first step to improving your overall headspace, so noticing when you might be stuck with unhelpful thoughts.
• Put your thoughts in an imaginary box, or if you’d prefer, on an actual list.
  Being in control of when you worry can be really helpful. Rather than allowing your thoughts to dictate your feelings at will, you can imagine putting your thoughts / fears / concerns in a box or writing them down, with the plan being to consider them at a time that actually works for you (at lunchtime, or on the commute home perhaps). With daily practices like this, you will minimise the time spent / energy expended on ‘stressing’, and this approach also results in more targeted critical thinking. You will respond rather than react.
• Ask yourself: what would a wise person do?
  Whether wisdom is innate or learned is an age old debate but there is no doubt that when you ask yourself this question, you will find that your feelings towards a situation as well as what you do in response, often changes.

It’s a very simple but very effective tool, so give it a go and see if it influences how you feel and / or how you act.

I hope that this article helps you to put more energy into progressing yourself personally and professionally, as well as a fresh perspective for 2020.

If finding a new job or challenge becomes a goal for this year, get in touch with our Professional Services team today on 03 9946 7300 or support@lawsondelaney.com.au. Our dedicated Consultants will be able to find a role that is the right fit for you and assist you in completing an important goal.