How to Stay Motivated in the Face of Criticism
The second you step onto the first rung of your professional ladder, you are going to find yourself bombarded with criticism and dissuasion from all sides. For someone starting their career, this blitzkrieg is inevitable. What’s important is to know how to brush it off and pull yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps. In order to stay composed despite heavy discouragement, give the following manoeuvres a try.
- Be determined about your vocation
There will always be people who question your decision on pursuing a particular path so stay resolute about the one you’ve taken. Focus on the goal at hand. Understand what you want to accomplish and why you want it so badly. What would really help is writing it down and putting it up somewhere you’d see every day, like setting it as your phone’s wallpaper. You could even pin it at your office desk or in your study.
- Don’t defend your choices
If you plan on giving your critics reasons for your career choice, you’ll only aggravate the situation. The more you try and explain it to them, the more ammo they’ll get to dissuade you. Remember - you’re not under obligation to anyone to justify your life goals. You only need to answer to yourself.
- Don’t Inform People of your Plans
It makes sense to tell your family and friends about the career you’re embarking on, but this is actually not advisable. Chances are you’ll receive demoralising advice that might cause you to skid off of your trajectory. As mentioned above, write down your goals somewhere and keep it to yourself. Until you’re absolutely positive about your choice, best not to share it with anyone.
- Network Heavily
It helps to have a group of people who share similar interests, cheer you on and proffer constructive criticism. They might not be in your family or friend circles. This is why it is essential that you expand your social circle. Engage with more people more often. For starters, attend networking meetings or get in touch with a mentor who could help. Either way, you need these people on the sides of the track while you’re running your marathon.
- Take some time for yourself
This might sound like it clashes with the previous point, but it is important to get away from the chatter and babble every once a while. Zen Buddhism highlights the importance of sitting quietly without doing anything. Allow yourself a breather frequently. Turn off all gadgets and meditate. Achieve a peaceful state of mind fertile enough to sow the seeds of your labour. Doing so will make you feel more sure about yourself.
- Follow the Path of the Experts
Many of the veterans in your field of work must have been through hell and back to become the people they are today. They must have had failures and an equal number of stepping stones. Look a few of these people up and learn what you can about the ups and downs of their careers. Emulate their footsteps. Remember, they probably went through the same experiences that you are going through presently and yet they made it. THAT’S ample motivation for you.
- Celebrate even the Small Achievements
It could be something as small as cleaning out your office desk, but it is still an achievement. This is inclusive of acquiring new skills, meeting new people, helping new people, etc. Chart your accomplishments carefully. This encourages you to tackle the bigger tasks more confidently.
De-clutter your mind to let all your thoughts converge on the goal at hand. Brush off all the negativity. Quite simply put, eyes on the finish line.
This is a handwritten article by Team InterviewBuddy. InterviewBuddy connects students, job seekers & people looking to scale up their careers with industry experts to practice interviewing.
