3 LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT CAN MAKE BIG IMPACT ON YOUR CAREER

Our education; both formal and informal, form the building blocks for our competencies and skills. In the same vein, our lifestyle is instrumental to helping us achieve our professional ambitions.

Our lifestyle choices may make or mar our chances of success. Therefore, making little changes here and there can help us adjust and be better positioned to achieve our career goals.

Here are three lifestyle changes that help us become better versions of ourselves and the women of our dreams!

SELF-CONFIDENCE

Many of us may be familiar with those colleagues that always get picked for projects and assignments; Those who speaks up at every meeting and confidently articulate their idea. No doubt, these classes of people will always be the first choice when opportunities for growth and opportunities calls. One thing to note however is that they didn’t just become the favorite overnight. The way they projected themselves and their competencies may have played a huge part in helping them become the top choice in the minds of decision-makers within the organization.

There are many competent people who would rather sit comfortably in a role that limits their potential because they lack confidence in themselves and their abilities. They go through the organization and never become known for the value they add. In fact, they may be the one making major contributions to the organization’s output but because they are afraid, they would rather take the back seat.

If you are in this boat, it is not a healthy choice for your career. You may get by passed for promotions and higher roles time and again. What you need is to develop self confidence. The lifestyle of self–confidence can be cultivated.

HOW TO DEVELOP SELF-CONFIDENCE

To get confident in yourself and abilities so you can properly articulate and project your value at all times, you have to wear self-confidence like you do any good outfit. Though in this case, it is an intangible outfit.

You may wonder how? Visualize an actor or actress who is given a script to act like the character written in the script. The actor puts aside his or her true character and assumes the character written in that script for that moment that he or she plays the role. Sometimes, when care is not taken, if the actor plays that role for a long time, he may not be able to separate his sense of self from the character he plays. The actor may lose his or her self playing that role. Benedict Cumberbatch, the man behind the Sherlock Holmes Character, says that playing the character tampers with his true self. “My mum says I’m more curt with her when I’m filming Sherlock”, he says.

So in the case of self-confidence, when you have made up your mind to become self-confident, and you act confidently at every point in time, you will become a master at projecting yourself confidently and you wouldn’t need to discard this character as it is needed at every stage or level you would want to get into in life.

For every level of success, you need self-confidence to step into it. Without it, you may never be able to take over the reins of a higher career level.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

According to a resource provided by Roger Williams University from “The Health and Wellness Educators” (HAWE), there are five dimensions to wellness: physical, emotional,social, spiritual, and intellectual. You maximize your health and inadvertently your career by paying attention to all these areas.

Many of us focus only on our physical well-being. Integrating the aforementioned aspects of well-being in our health regimen will take us a long way. Why is this so? First, leaving things to chance do not always yield a positive outcome. Again, one aspect of health can affect the other and reduce our ability to function effectively.

Speaking on the importance of caring for mental health, Kerry Washington; “Scandal” star actress, says “my brain and my heart are really important to me. I don’t know why I wouldn’t seek help to have those things be as healthy as my teeth…”

Before people gain employment in organizations, they are required to do pre-recruitment medical examinations to ensure they are fit to fulfill the contract of employment. “Mental health problems affect many employees—a fact that is usually overlooked because these disorders tend to be hidden at work…as a result, mental health disorders often go unrecognized and untreated—not only damaging an individual’s health and career but also reducing productivity at work”, says a Harvard mental health letter.

Since problems with your mental and emotional wellness can affect your deliverables which you need to advance in your career, it is imperative you treat the same way you do for your physical health.

Here are some recommendations proffered by HAWE for integrating all aspects of wellness;

Physical: Walk 30 minutes a day, three times a week, and get 6-8 hours sleep every night.

Emotional: Discover what helps you relive stress. Find someone you can confide in. Stay positive.

Social: Hang out with others. Don’t stay in toxic relationships.

Spiritual: Practice your religion and appreciate the universe.

Intellectual: Keep learning and be well-informed.

PRIORITIZING SOME ‘ME-TIME‘

More often than not, it is emphasized that couples who have kids should set time aside to get away in order to spend time with each other. Research shows that this strengthens the bond in marital relationships. Likewise, in relationship with our own selves, it is advisable to spend time alone not just to relax, but also to refresh, reflect and get revamped. The lifestyle of having a ‘me-time’ should not be overlooked. People with extroverted personalities may find this difficult to do. Weigh in on the benefits from time to time to boost your motivation to engage in it.

After spending many hours conversing with others, it is important you also spend time conversing with your own self. It will build your self-awareness which is a requirement to help you leverage on your strengths to further achievements in your personal and professional life.

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