Wouldn’t it be great if we could recharge our careers like our phones? Plug it in and in a few hours, we could have a satisfying, best-fit career!

It’s not as easy as plugging in your phone, but you can recharge your career. A great starting point is to build your resilience, which will give you the energy and enthusiasm to take charge of your career.

I define resilience as the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, even when the circumstances are discouraging or disruptive. When you are resilient, an obstacle does not derail you; instead, you see it as a challenge and continue to be productive and satisfied.

To build their resilience, my coaching clients use my Benatti Resiliency Model, which consists of five strategies: Well-being, Self-awareness, Brand, Connection, and Innovation.

5 Strategies To Recharge Your Career

1. Spark Your Well-Being

• Do you make your well-being a priority?
• Do you exercise regularly?
• Do you give your body the fuel it needs to perform?
• Do you get the amount of sleep you need to be at your best on a regular basis?
• Are you stretched so thin that you feel ready to snap?

Well-being is key to being productive and focused.

Try one of these Well-being boosters:

• Start your day with a morning intention. Think about what you would like your day to look like and how you want to feel. Some examples include: calm and confident; refreshed and focused; and relaxed and happy.
• Take more mini-breaks during the day. Meet a friend for lunch or take a walk around the block. Mini-breaks can give you an energy boost as well as reengage your mind and body.
• Going on a retreat or getaway with friends can be a great way to gain clarity and take a break from career and life pressures. It will give you the energy you need to set your goals for recharge.

2. Spark Your Self-Awareness

The next strategy is self-awareness.

• Can you articulate your values?
• Is your career aligned with them?
• How is your mindset— do you see yourself as adaptable or do you cringe when you think of changes that need to be made?
• Do you have insight into your personality type and how to adapt your style when working with others?

Some ways to boost your Self-awareness:

• What can you do this week to focus on a value you would like to integrate more into your life?
• Do you often feel that you “have” to do something? Ask yourself, “What would realistically happen if I didn’t do this? What do I want to do? Is there room for negotiation?” The point is not to ignore commitments but to make sure you don’t overwhelm yourself.
• Be aware that when you become seriously stressed, it can amplify the more negative aspects of your personality type. When that happens, remind yourself to pause and employ your stress-management strategies.

3. Spark Your Brand

Do you know what your brand is?

Brand isn’t just about the attributes that describe you—for example, strategic, detail-oriented, collaborative—it’s about the impact you make on others in your career. Knowing and communicating both keeps you relevant in your career but also makes individuals want to learn more about your expertise.

I have taken my brand very seriously since I began by business 25 years ago. I make sure I attend industry conferences, and always focus on ways I can offer more value to my clients. When you do this, you will be seen as an expert and become a thought leader in your industry.

To boost your Brand:

• Look for opportunities to use your strengths in your career and your personal life. Using your strengths energizes you and gives you the confidence needed to influence others.
• Every Friday, ask yourself, “What impact did I make in my business this week?”
• Make sure your brand is clearly reflected on your LinkedIn profile with a professional headshot and a summary statement that reflects your attributes and your impact.

4. Spark Your Connection

Connection, which I define as cultivating relationships, is key to resilience.

When I think of my most engaged and energetic clients, I notice each has a key group of people they trust and from whom they can get feedback. This is essential in supporting your recharge.

Some Connection boosters include:

• Think of connection as a business competency and make a monthly connection plan. Be sure to include face-to-face opportunities; connecting online is sometimes the only option, but by meeting with people in person, you can develop trust.
• Get involved in a professional organization in your industry. This is a great way to grow connections that can have a positive impact on your career.

5. Spark Your Innovation

Innovation is the fifth strategy of my model. When you introduce new challenges, interests, or competencies into your professional and personal life, it keeps you growing, developing, and thinking creatively.

The key to successful innovation is to create the vision, then figure out what goals you need to accomplish to make the vision a reality. It’s important to ask yourself if the goals are personally meaningful to you, to make sure they are worth your time and effort.

To get started, try one of these Innovation boosters:

• Every month decide on one innovation goal. What will you learn to enhance your career or personal success? Keep it small and actionable. It could be to listen to a podcast or TED Talk or to schedule an accountability call with a colleague to share goals and challenges.
• Creativity and play are important for innovation and recharge. What are you doing this week that is creative or playful?
• Volunteering is a great way to introduce innovation into your personal and professional life. Look for an organization whose purpose has meaning for you.

If you’re like many of my clients, you want a fulfilling and challenging career, even as you deal with the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) environment in which we live and work. Boosting your resilience will let you take charge of your career and life and ride the waves of change instead of letting them drown you.

 

Beth Kennedy brings more than twenty years of experience to her role as a leadership and executive coach, resiliency-training expert, and speaker. She recently published her book, Career ReCharge: Five Strategies to Boost Resilience and Beat Burnout.