January is a time when we often set new goals for ourselves and reconsider our career goals as we look ahead to the year. Our professional work roles are also an important part of who we are and our unique purpose or contribution to our communities. We spend so much time in our job roles to earn enough to provide for our families and take time out to do the things that we want. Many people have also had forced changes to their professional role due to the uncertainty and impact brought on by the pandemic. Prosperity is not only about financial gain but also about how we gain a sense of fulfillment, sucess and peace in our mind, life and relationships. But what if you feel you are in the wrong profession, or dont enjoy what you are currently doing? How do you manage the effort to continually turn up and be present for others in times of stress and uncertainty? How do you prosper and find joy in doing what you are obligated to do, despite it not being your ultimate choice? 10 Pathways to prosper: Have an attitude of gratitude: when you have an attitude of being grateful for everything you have, you position yourself to receive more good and helpful things in your life. Our approach to something will determine the outcome. being grateful for having an income when many are unemployed or choosing to recognise the many important people and resources you have access to can help the time you spend at work more enjoyable. Work with a spirit of excellence: having a positive attitude toward yourself and work in addition to an attitude to do everything well is powerful tool. It may get you noticed by others and position you for a promotion or be considered for another role in the same organisation. Many people also talent scout or are recommended for roles that are not advertised, looking for people who do their job well regardless of whether a manager is present. excellence will get you noticed! Focus on what others need and find a way to meet it: placing your daily attention on what customers or your organisation need will also help to redirect your focus from what is not going well in your own life. Giving (your time and attention) is also a powerful resource you have to make everyone around you feel important. Many employees find some things irritating or frustrating in their daily role and might complain to a senior person or colleague about it. If you were to imaging a potential solution or a better way of doing something this might attract a promotional or leadership opportunity. Make a CPD (continued professional development) plan and learn new skills: every profession changes and we need to keep up to date on the new and innovative practices that go with the role. Many have it as a requirement for professional registration, however, a CPD plan does not just have to be the minimum your employer expects. A CPD plan can include any subject you are interested in, even if it is undertaken outside of your work time. CPD courses can also be undertaken online with the increase of the digital age and restrictions to movement we have experienced over the past two years. With additional skills, knowledge and understanding you are positioned for greater success, promotion and will have more choices. Form or join a support group of like minded positive colleagues: many organisations have employee support groups which may be targeted to BAME people, women, parents etc. Explore what support groups are available to you or try creating one yourself online to find other people wanting to progress and prosper. Finding a community, joining a forum or group can help to give you renewed enthusiasm and hope when you are feeling stressed or frustrated with your current circumstances. You might also have helpful ideas to support others or find the spark of a new idea you had not previously considered. Recognise what triggers stress in your work role and find ways to manage this: sometimes our frustrations and stress points are an ongoing source of stress. The impact of managing multiple roles as carer, parent, employee, friend and or other obligations can become overwhelming. It is important to find the right level of support for your difficulties and recognise what trigger points cause stress. These may be unique to you because of your history, experience and relationships. Self awareness is the first step to managing emotions and stress that appear to dominate your life. Keeping a diary or journal might help you to monitor your stress trigger points and reactions so that you can find helpful strategies to manage them. Get professional help to manage or regulate strong emotions or distress: many people do not recognise they require additional support to manage their emotions, help with relationship difficulties or manage the impact of major life events such as illness, bereavement, loss or separation. Stigma is also often associated with seeking help for mental health difficulties despite the fact we all have emotional chanllenges and difficulties at some point in our life. Counsellors and psychotherapists are skilled at talking with individuals or groups of people about these challenges and finding ways to navigate them. Ask your workplace for their wellbeing support details or your GP can direct you to free or discounted services available in your local area. Find a coach or mentor to help you grow to another level: many coaches and mentors have the skill to help others navigate the difficult balance of maintaining career goals, juggling family commitments and / or building a business. In addition, the attention to emotional resilience is often part of the conversation to ensure thought and mind habits are in line with your goals and expectations. Ask for recommendations to find a coach or mentor that has experience and success of doing what you have a goal to acheive. If you are an expert in your role find a way to share your talents and skills to help others: many of us have a variety of skills that we hold and only use a small proportion of them. If you have been in your profession for a while or have held other roles with different skills there are many that are starting out and require mentoring or teaching to get to where you are. Recognise that you are experienced and start a blog or write a book about your profession. It will get you recognised and bring more opportunities your way. Experts can also be experts by experience, so if you have navigated trauma, stress or other adverse circumtances you could make a good mentor for others going through a similar challenge. Hospitals, social care departments and other services often use experts by experience as volunteers; leading to potential job role opportunities. If all else fails...research similar roles and organisations and develop a transition / exit plan: when you have tried all the above strategies and have not changed your circumstances it may be a sign that you need to move on. Moving on can be to something similar or completely different if you have the right skills or a willingness to learn them. Planning an exit strategy will be more fullfilling than leaving the role in a forced or unplanned way and leaves the door open to return if you change your mind. Moving on should not be seen as failure as life has a way of positioning us into more helpful and fulfilling places, even if we did not imagine we would get there! We hope you will find these ideas encouraging and helpful for your future prosperity. Please do sign up to our online forum to share your experiences and ideas for others to prosper alongside you. Look out for our masterclass details coming soon....