Are you feeling overwhelmed by your own career progression plan?

Just because you drew up the strategy for how you want your career to proceed doesn’t mean it will all be smooth sailing.

Career progression plans are crucial for long-term success. Not only do they help you identify the targets you want to hit throughout your working life, but detailed steps keep you on track and skilled in an evolving landscape. 

Drawing up a strategy can give you an edge and reduce anxiety as you eliminate distractions and surprises, working towards a singular goal, whether that is a title, greater benefits or even the financial freedom that leads to a comfortable retirement. 

But, having a strategy doesn’t mean it will all go as planned. There can be hiccups along the way and you could even find yourself becoming increasingly overwhelmed as you fail to meet targets or advance as you thought you would. So, how can you manage negative feelings brought about by a difficult career progression plan?

Don’t be hasty

When something important goes awry it can be tempting to stop and start from scratch, but that won’t always help. In fact, if your default is to try, try and try again, without doing the work to understand where you are going wrong, then you are doomed to repeat your mistakes until you likely give up altogether.

If you find that the plan is falling apart, that your productivity has actually lowered and that you aren’t meeting any of your professional goals on target, then it is crucial that you assess where things first went off the rails. 

For example, if you failed to earn a new promotion that would have given you an important senior title or a boost in your compensation, rather than accepting the loss and reevaluating your goals entirely, make sure you ask your manager why you were passed over. 

You should also enquire as to the skills you could improve upon to give you a better chance the next time around and then adjust your timeline accordingly, to represent a change in your plans and give you the opportunity to upskill and advance. 

Realignment is key to keeping a strategy moving forward not backwards, even if it takes a little longer, you have comfort in knowing that it is going in the right direction. 

Manage life’s changes

It is important that you understand the difference between failure and realignment. The majority of people enter the workforce at a young age, often upon graduation from school or university and careers are much longer than they used to be, as we live longer. 

With that in mind, you might discover that the goals you are failing to meet, the skills you are not developing and the promotions you are being passed over for, are not actually the professional achievements you want anymore. 

It can be incredibly frustrating and upsetting to deviate from a plan once you have set your mind to it and overwhelming to start again, however, by continuing to work in an environment that no longer gives you personal or professional satisfaction you aren’t likely to meet your goals, as your productivity wains. 

Choosing to start again, perhaps in a new job or even industry, while nerve wracking, can give you a new lease on life and this time, while you are rebuilding your career progression plan, it is with your current goals and ambitions in mind. 

Lean on your network

For the most part, career progression plans are individualised. However, working in a group setting you often find that goals can overlap and you share some ambitions with your colleagues. So why not reach out if it starts to become overwhelming? You could enquire as to how their strategies are playing out to see if they have any tips or advice and learn from their positive and negative experiences. 

Additionally, if your organisation has an established HR department you could also speak with them regarding career plans and ask if there is any support available while you reassess your plans. This might include mental health support as you deal with the feelings associated with being under added pressure.   

You may also want to loop in your employer, who could have greater insights into how someone at your current level can move upwards and reach their targets efficiently. 

No man or woman is an island and by reaching out, asking for and accepting help, you broaden your network and improve your chances of successfully navigating your career progression plan.

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