Believing You can Create Your Career Path

"Of all the forces that hold women back, however, none are as powerful as entrenched beliefs" ... states a new McKinsey report, "Unlocking the Full Potential of Women in the US Economy," by Joanna Barsh.

As my clients and I work together to find the right job that resonates with who they really are and to realize their true potential, we explore beliefs about success, opportunity, the past, and who, or what keeps them from getting what they want.

From my experience some widely held beliefs about what it takes to be successful in your career are:  

• you need to always be available to stay ahead of the competition
• keep taking things on to prove your ability, your capacity and your worth
• keep up or they'll find someone else who will
• if you've put in the time you deserve the promotion
• just wait (don't ask) and good things will come your way
• I'm so busy I don't have time to do what it takes to create my career path

These beliefs can exact a heavy price -- burn out, exhaustion, disappointment, frustration, and going blindly down a path you didn't chose to an unfulfilled and unbalanced life.

Career success begins with the belief that you CAN create your own path.  Career success is sustained by constantly revisiting two fundamental questions, "what do I want to achieve?" and "what am I doing it for?"

Have you carved out a career path that you love? What beliefs do you think are necessary for achieving success in your career?