3 Mindset Shifts To Make Early In Your Career
How to make sure your ego doesn't outrun your abilities
Welcome back, Hybrids!>?
Today, I’ll share some insights from mistakes I made early in my career and how you can avoid them by employing the right mindsets.
(Today’s issue takes ~2 minutes to read)
When you're starting out in your career, the urge to make a visible impact is arguably never greater.
But sometimes we prioritize that desire ahead of what we're actually being asked to do.
In the early phase of my professional career, I had a tendency to spend all my time on the big-ticket items but fall short at times on the easy tasks.
I sometimes unilaterally decided what I thought was important (and let's be honest, what I thought would make me look the best), and I focused on that.
But that wasn't what I was hired to do.
Remember there's a reason that most career paths have entry-level roles. We all need time to develop before we call the shots.
So what can you do to make sure your ego doesn't outrun your abilities?
#1. Take pride in being a master of the basics.
In the 7 years I spent as either a Coordinator or Assistant, I learned to be proud of the support I gave my team, no matter how basic my tasks were.
Every team needs support, so don't sell your value short.
#2. Internalize what it feels like to take direction from someone else & learn from it.
There's value in learning to take direction from someone, both empathetically and tactically.
Remember, there's usually a reason that person is in the position to give people direction.
Find out what it is and learn from it.
#3. Remember who bears ultimate responsibility. It might not be you, so act accordingly.
When you're not the one accepting risk (or being credited for the subsequent reward) for the task you're working on, remember you're participating in someone else's game.
This doesn't mean you can't have ownership of your piece of work.
It does mean you have an obligation to remain accountable to the person whose name is tied to the result.
If only I knew then what I know now.
I would have created a lot less self-induced friction and given myself a healthier mindset if I had focused on these three things at the beginning of my career.
See you all next week.
-Aaron
PS: What’s something you wish you could tell yourself earlier in your career?
Hit reply or drop a comment and let me know. I love hearing from my readers.