Are you designing the Next Big You?

“He was not ready for the role!”

Ever heard this being said about someone?

In all probability, it was because that person did not work on creating the next version of themself, the version that the next role required.

In the words of Marshall Goldsmith, “What got you here won’t get you there”.

Every new level/role requires a newer, better version of you.

If you’re aspiring to make a big leap in your career, you need to hone some of your existing skills, acquire new ones, identify and overcome mental bocks, revalidate your beliefs, overcome fear of failure and develop courage. There are several shifts that are required in terms of your attitudes and your perspectives.

So, what does this Next Big version mean and how does one get there?

Here are a few aspects you need to focus on as you design the ‘Next Big You’:

1) Priorities — Evaluate your priorities and determine what is most important to you. As you get busier, you need to set your priorities right so that you focus on the right things and avoid distraction.

2) Attitudes — As you move up, you will encounter challenging situations which will require several attitudinal shifts. Whether it is open-mindedness, the tolerance of uncertainty or optimisim, you will need to recalibrate your attitudes.

3) Skills — Every new role will require you to add to your skill repository. When it comes to skills, there are two broad types — the Expiring kind and the Permanent kind. In order to stay relevant and succeed, your upskilling strategy should include both types of skills.

4) Definition of Success — As you scale greater heights as well as encounter humbling situations, how you define success will change. Move away from the popular connotations of success and redefine it for yourself.

5) Self-awareness — What drives you? What values do you hold close? What are you passionate about? Investing time in understanding yourself help you control your emotions and stay composed in the face of challenge. Go ahead and get to know yourself better.

6) Network — It does get lonely at the top. As you climb the career ladder, there is greater responsibility, you are more visible, and this can lead to greater pressure. Hence it is imperative to create an inner circle that can support and motivate you as you aspire to reach greater heights.

7) Habits — Like the famous quote by Brian Tracy goes — “Successful people are simply those with successful habits”. Habits are what will keep you going long after the inspiration fades off. Decide what new habits will make you stronger and go inculcate them.

8) Perspective — Every new level will require renewed courage and a heightened ability to take risks. As you pursue ambitious goals, you will encounter setbacks and failure. Your perspective will determine whether bounce back from failure or allow it to defeat you.

9) Limiting beliefs — Henry Ford once said — “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”. Attitudes, behaviours and beliefs acquired over time, tend to solidify into mental blocks. It is critical to identify and eliminate such blocks in order to move ahead in life.

10) Strengths — Each of us is unique and our uniqueness is not just defined by our looks, upbringing and exposure, but also by the unique strengths we possess. Research shows that we are feel more confident, self-aware and productive when focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses. Double down on your strengths and leverage them to gain a competitive edge.

As you pursue audacious goals and chase greater heights, ensure that you work on the ‘Next Big You’ as well.