By Robin Fisher Roffer
Trying to foresee or control the future is pointless. With a tough economy, technology advancing every minute, hiring and firing policies changing on a dime, an election looming, and employers continuing to operate from fear, things have never been more uncertain or the challenges so great.
Where we fall short is in our response – when we look for someone to blame – rather than let go and surrender to what’s happening and manage the chaos one step at a time with grace, and with faith.
Today we are all being called to move forward in the face of unpredictability and to deal with the here and now. However, not all of us are finding the fortitude to answer the call. Many of us are stuck – longing for a time when things were easier and opportunities just came our way.
If you are feeling stuck, consumed with that aching feeling of failure or you’re frozen with fear, try these three steps to creating a no-fear career so that you can gain greater recognition, a higher income and more satisfaction. I call them “The Three A’s.”
Step One: Accept
Instead of pushing yourself and everyone else up against a wall, tune in to the truth of your situation by making a list of every single thing you must accept that you can’t control or change. In my own career I’ve had to walk away from jobs, clients and business ideas that simply were not working out. Accepting that a certain project or business relationship is going nowhere is progress, not failure.
Step Two: Adjust
Once you accept the truth of your situation, it’s time to adjust without blame or judgment. To do so, start by really living in each moment fully -- not in the future or the past. Then, get into action by mustering the courage to make big changes.
Why change? Well, I was recently sent a report from Oxford Economics entitled “Global Talent 2012” by Scott Muff at Bellevue University. According to the report, to stay competitive in the global marketplace over the next decade, American workers will have to possess four skill sets:
- Digital Skills: The fast-growing digital economy is increasing the demand for highly skilled technical workers.
- Agile Thinking: In a period of sustained uncertainty, where economic, political and market conditions can change suddenly, agile thinking and the ability to prepare for multiple scenarios is vital.
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills: HR executives believe that co-creativity and brainstorming skills will be greatly in demand, as will relationship building and teaming skills.
- Global Operating Skills: In a global economy, the ability to manage diverse employees is seen as vastly important over the next five to ten years.
Taking courses to learn one or more of these skills is an adjustment that will be well worth your investment of time and money. If you possess any of these skills now, make sure to shine a light on them wherever possible.
Step Three: Access
Moving through uncertainty and demonstrating that agile thinking that’s so prized in the workplace requires stepping out of fear and into faith. When you quiet your mind and access your highest self, you’ll find the confidence to do the next right thing. My recommendation is that you don’t do it alone. Pull in your biggest supporters and co-create a new vision. When you do, you’ll access that part of you that’s exceptional, generous, forgiving and truthful.
It’s about living big and going deep. We all have unique qualities, but only some of us live them big. To have a no-fear career, you have to have a clear mission and be able to communicate it to the world. And you have to practice these three steps consistently. In this way, you will make fearlessness a habit—ingrained in every action—so you can change with the times and make them your own.
Robin Fisher Roffer, founder and CEO of Big Fish Marketing, is America's leading personal brand strategist for executive level career professionals. She's the best selling author of 3 books including The Fearless Fish Out Of Water: How To Succeed When You're The Only One Like You.
To learn more and get a No-Fear Career free training, sign-up at: http://bigfishmarketing.com/no-fear-career-training.
