6 career fails & lessons: achieve success without the stress

Do you ever have that feeling that as you focus on dialling up your career success, you’re also dialling up career stress? It’s so easy to get trapped in the efforts of getting better, being faster, knowing everything, performing at your peak, until you’re nothing but burnt out. Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder, striving for personal growth, or trying to build a better blend of family or work, it’s easy to get caught up in pressure.

Here’s a closer look at six common career pitfalls and practical tips to navigate them effectively:

1. the pressure to climb the career ladder upwards

The notion that climbing higher on the corporate ladder equates to success is deeply ingrained in our professional culture. While advancing in your career can be rewarding, it’s crucial to remember that this isn’t the only measure of success. Sometimes moving sideways over upwards is more rewarding.

Measures of success in your career can be incredibly varied, including:

• opportunities to learn new things

• chances to lead projects

• access to the skills of mentors you can learn from

• flexibility with your family needs

• a 4-day work week

• paid overtime

• flexi time

• proximity to home or school

• flexibility with remote working

• using your strengths daily

• positive community impact

• chances to be innovative and creative with solutions

• positive and fulfilling team culture

• travel opportunities

• job security

See how many ways there are to succeed in your role! They aren’t always tied to a higher salary or a promotion.

Here are some practical ways to work through this if it’s something your struggle with:

• set personal goals: define what success looks like for you beyond promotions and pay raises. Take inspiration from the list just provided.

• identify what benefits could be added to your current role: chat with your manager about how your current role could be improved with side benefits like working from home options, flexi time, opportunities to lead projects, and so on.

• identify a sideways step: rather than going up, what sideways role change could utilise the skills and experience you’ve got but in a new way?

2. the burden of having all the answers

Imagine being the one at work that knows everything, so everyone comes to you. This is a pretty stressful position to be in. In reality, nobody has all the solutions, and it’s perfectly acceptable to seek help and guidance. The urge to look credible to work mates can lead you to speak up too soon in meetings, as if that shows you’re an expert. But what happens if a topic is brought up in a meeting and you genuinely don’t know about it? You can look a little foolish trying to be the owner of all information when really the most honest response is: ‘hey I’m actually not sure’. You’ll find that as you say things like ‘I don’t know, but let’s find out the answer’ you’ll build trust with your colleagues. You’re human, not a walking encyclopaedia. 

Here are some practical ways to work through this if it’s something you struggle with:

• practise ‘I don’t know’ phrases for meetings: ‘I’m not sure’; ‘I don’t know but can do some reading and find out’; ‘does anyone else have any ideas?’ are all perfectly valid responses in meetings.

• practice pausing before answering: if someone asks a question either directly or in a meeting, take a moment. Sit in silence for a second and hold back on the automatic ownership of the answer.

• let someone else speak up first: this can be difficult for some! If something is brought up in a meeting, practice letting at least one other person speak before you do. You might even find that there’s more opportunities for team mates to contribute, which builds a great team culture. You don’t need to answer right away.

3. confusing excellence with perfection

Excellence and perfection are often mistakenly seen as the same, but they are fundamentally different. Striving for excellence means doing your best and continuously improving, while perfectionism is an unrealistic ideal that can lead to frustration and burnout. Accepting that mistakes are part of the growth process can help you focus on meaningful progress rather than unattainable standards.

Here are some practical ways to work through this if it’s something your struggle with:

• figure out what ‘bare minimum’ is: now, this doesn’t mean focus on only doing the bare minimum. It means get to grips with how much more above the bare minimum you’re doing, and see where you could pull back to so you aren’t stretching yourself beyond your capacity on every task.

• set realistic standards: now you know what bare minimum is, aim for excellence by setting achievable and realistic goals. Understand that perfection is not necessary for success and that good enough is often sufficient.

• embrace mistakes: perfectionists struggle to make mistakes—it’s time to embrace the truth: you will make mistakes. Instead of fearing failure, view mistakes as learning opportunities. Practice owning mistakes as they happen. Analyse what went wrong and how you can improve, and apply these insights to future endeavours.

4. prioritising what you do over who you are

Answer truthfully: do you tie your identity to your job? It’s common to identify with your job title or achievements, but your personal identity and well-being are just as important. Your sense of self-worth should not be solely tied to your professional success. Taking time to nurture your personal interests, relationships, and self-care is crucial for a balanced and fulfilling life.

One area you may have neglected is boundaries. Are the lines between your personal and professional life a little blurry, overlapped or completely non-existent? It’s a good time to consider what boundaries will help you in your personal and professional life to bring balance.

Here are some practical ways to work through this if it’s something your struggle with:

• build boundaries: Create boundaries between work and your personal life. Some examples you can try include: 

• set specific work hours, and stick them

• If you work from home set up a separate work space and find a way to physically ‘close the door’ on it at the end of the day

• Keep your work email off your personal phone

• Establish no-work times throughout your week

• TAKE YOUR LUNCH BREAK. Pretty passionate about this one, can you tell?

• Don’t race to drop-in tasks. Push back and request more time to get it done.

• Take holidays!

• reflect on your values: Regularly reflect on what matters most to you beyond work. Engage in activities and relationships that align with your core values and passions. A great exercise for this is imagining a week where you had all the money you needed so didn’t have to go to work. How would you choose to spend your time? Those activities often highlight what you truly value.

5. letting fear of failure stop you from being bold

Fear of failure can be a major barrier to taking risks and pursuing bold ideas. We’ve already talked about how the fear of failure needs to be overcome, but think about what opportunities you might be missing out on because you’re scared to try it. Risk at work is a real thing and it’s a spectrum, from simple things like putting your hand up to speak in a meeting, through to asking your boss for a pay rise. Check out the risk spectrum below from Sort Your Career Out & Make More Money to see examples of risks you might face at work.

So question is, are you avoiding taking chances at work on bold ideas or actions? This can really get in your way when you’re trying to achieve your version of success.

Here are some practical ways to work through this if it’s something your struggle with:

• take small risks: start by taking smaller, manageable risks to build your confidence. Gradually increase the scale of your risks as you become more comfortable with the possibility of failure.

6. obsessing over productivity

In a productivity-driven culture, it’s easy to measure success by how much you accomplish. However, obsessing over productivity can lead to burnout and neglect of other important aspects of your life. Rest and rejuvenation are essential for long-term success, and if you’re constantly tapping out unwell because you’ve burnt through your energy, then you won’t even be able to make it into work! It’s time to build rest into your definition of productivity.

Here are some practical ways to work through this if it’s something your struggle with:

• prioritise tasks: focus on high-impact tasks that align with your goals and the goals of the workplace rather than just checking items off a to-do list. Practise communicating what goals are your focus with your manager and colleagues, especially when new tasks are added to your list. Push back on new tasks that can wait a day or a week.

• schedule breaks: incorporate regular breaks into your workday to avoid burnout. Short breaks can enhance focus and productivity, and ensure you maintain a healthy work-life balance.

• book a holiday: do it. You’ll find it’s actually better for your whole team—it’s ESSENTIAL that your team can function without you. If they can’t, then it’s not a resilient workplace. Build that resilience, but more importantly, take a freaking break!