How to Stay Focused on Financial/Career Wins

These are certainly challenging times for us these days. It’s easy to get caught up in the gloom and doom headlines and feel discouraged and anxious. With every crisis, comes opportunity. One of the lessons this challenging time is teaching us is to appreciate what we are doing so we stay in a positive mind set. It’s important to have a long term mindset about achieving our financial and career goals, so tracking short term wins to encourage us becomes a potent success strategy.

Let’s have a “Yes, I did!” attitude instead of “I didn’t do enough”!

Stay motivated and energized to achieve your goals by fueling your momentum with “success pit-stops” so you focus on the concrete steps you are taking to achieve your bigger financial and career goals. Counteract your critical voices and your ever-hungry ego by tracking your successes each week. Anytime we take steps towards a worthwhile goal-we are being successful! By celebrating your successes along the way, you will have more energy to reach your final end goal! Remember to say this positive thought over and over: “Everything I touch is a success!”

Positive recession career win:
A woman in her early fifties left her HR VP position after a big re-organization in her company. She had helped her team produce many changes, and again wanted to find an organization ready to raise their standards and become an employer of choice. After a relatively short period of time, she secured another terrific HR VP position that offered even more of her key elements and work satisfaction qualities than her old employer!

If you are not feeling particularly successful in one of these areas below, start focusing on where you are being successful! Use the actions you have not checked off to create momentum and action steps to increase your fulfillment and goal attainment!

Track your success for this week:

Career:
__I proof read my work for errors
___I asked someone to proofread my work for m
__I made sure an important stakeholder was informed of current processes
__I praised someone for their good contribution
__I provided information that staved off unnecessary rumors
__I made a well-thought of decision instead of shooting from the hip
___Other

Financial:

____I hired a tax professional to help me with a complex problem
___ I consolidated my insurance policies to receive better premiums
___ I have a plan to reduce my debt, or increase my savings
___I am paid well for the work I do
___I have a positive view about my ability to earn money
___I completed maintenance on a valuable asset
___Other

Empowerment/Balance:

__I cleaned up my email in-box
__ I picked up the phone instead of eating junk food
__ I incorporated fruits and vegetables into my diet
__ I focused on the present moment instead of worrying
__I made time for prayer or meditation
__I made a vision poster or wrote a vision of what I truly wanted
__I counted my blessings
___Other

Moving Forward: Commit to taking one action step to increase your success:

__________________________________________________________

Agree to do this by this by next week to increase your success! If this exercise was helpful, sign up for my weekly financial and career tracking two-minute eZine. Go to
www.suzanneblake.com and sign up for the Thumbs Up for Success Newsletter to keep you focused on what you are doing to obtain your goals !

Week Two Success Tracking:
Positive recession career win:
After giving her heart and soul to her pharmaceutical research team, a woman in her late thirties was frustrated by the lack of recognition from her company. She suggested to her manager that it would be a good idea for her and her team to have some recognition for their efforts. She was surprised and delighted when her boss's boss nominated her for a "rising star award" with a local professional organization! She politely asked for what she wanted and got it!

If you are not feeling particularly successful in one of these areas below, start focusing on where you are being successful! Use the actions you have not checked off to create momentum and action steps to increase your fulfillment and goal attainment!

Track your success:

Career:
__I utilized a time-saving device or tool
__I read about or sought professional career advice
__I helped someone out with their career path
__I participated in a networking event
__I used “out of the box” thinking to solve a problem
__I smoothed out ruffled feathers after a tense encounter
___Other

Financial:

___I am exploring other streams of income outside of my job
___ I changed my credit card when my fees were increased
___ I called my local state agency for an energy audit
___I utilize energy efficient products
___I understand my “rules” with my relationship with money
___I take responsibility for tracking how much money I have
___Other

Empowerment/Balance:

__I used a tool such as “The Power Thought Cards” by Louise Hay to stay positive
__ I drank at least 5 glasses of water in a day
__ I remembered the saying “What they think of me is none of my business”
__ I did something that focused on my own self-care, even when I felt guilty
__I made time to appreciate nature or a beautiful environment
__I shared some of my dreams with part of my support system
__I added a new person to my support system
___Other

Moving Forward: Commit to taking one action step to increase your success:

__________________________________________________________

Agree to do this by next week to keep momentum towards your financial and career goals. If this exercise was helpful, sign up for my weekly financial and career tracking two-minute eZine. Go towww.suzanneblake.com and sign up for the Thumbs Up for Success Newsletter to keep you focused on what you are doing so you stay focused on your success instead of what you aren’t doing!