Don’t Expect Instant Gratification In Your Career

Don’t Expect Instant Gratification In Your Career

We are an instant gratification society. We are accustomed to Instant access to food, drink, and our favorite TV programs. Instant access to books, newspapers, and information. Instant access to pretty much whatever we want when we want it.

Unfortunately, instant gratification does not happen to your career. Instead, career development requires persistence and patience.

We all want to race to the finish line and get what we want now. The reality is your career is a journey that takes place over time, a premise that can leave you disappointed and frustrated at times. And, frustration can hold you back which delays gratification even further.

So what do you do if your need for instant gratification is holding you back in your career? Follow these 4 steps below:

1. Accept

When you accept that instant gratification will not be a part of your career, something magical happens. When you accept what is true, you can put in place a system to deal with that truth. When you accept that things happen over time, you can plan for that time. When you accept that you will have to work hard to get what you want, you don’t have to be afraid of hard work anymore. When you accept that you will be frustrated and disappointed, this no longer has to get in your way. Acceptance gives you power and control. Expecting instant success does not.

2. Decide

There comes a time in your career when you have to decide that no matter how long or hard something is you will go after it anyway. This does not mean that your career goals have to be difficult to obtain or take forever to reach. It does mean that you have to want it. You have to want it badly, or your excuses will continue to stop you. There will always be something in the way. Life, bills to pay, family obligations. Decide to let go of why you can’t have what you want and instead use that time and energy to focus on your goal. Once you decide to go for your goal, the rest is steps taken over time to get there.

3. Plan

Planning is critical for success. If you can see it, you can do it. If you can’t visualize what you have to do, then it’s harder to do it. Goals are reached one step at a time, so map out the steps you will take to reach yours. Break your steps into blocks of time such as time to think, time to plan, time to implement your plan, and time to tweak your plan. Smaller pieces help make you career goals les overwhelming. They also easier to work on and plan for.

4. Act

If you work towards your goals, you will reach then. If you don’t work towards your goals, then you won’t. If you work on your goals here and there, maybe you will reach your goals, and maybe you won’t. It will depend on how much you want it. Trust that if you work on your goals on a consistent basis, you will reach them. This means taking a leap of faith, but really, it’s having faith in yourself. When you work towards something that’s important to you, it materializes. It may not be in the timeframe you want, (it’s never in the timeframe we want), but you will get there. Action brings results. Inaction does not. Work on your goals a little bit everyday no matter what, and career success will yours.