5 Simple Swaps To Help You Level Up Your Career Fast

Are you hoping to get ahead in your career but feeling frustrated that you seem to be falling short? You might need to switch things up.

The savviest leaders understand that by focusing on doing things others miss, won’t, or don’t, they’ll make huge strides.

Here are five simple swaps to help you level up in your career:

1. Be clever —> Be clear

Yes, it’s tempting to be witty in your content and communications, but if it leaves your audience scratching their heads, you’re in trouble. When you confuse, you lose—potential opportunities, clients, projects, promotions, and partners.

When communicating, aim for clarity over clever by avoiding unnecessary jargon and using simple language. When you’re clear, everything becomes easier. People understand you, what you offer, your value, what differentiates you, how you can help them, and how they can assist you.

2. Wait for things to be perfect —> Do things before you’re ready

Spoiler alert: there is no perfect time. And if you wait until conditions are “perfect” to make a career move or take a chance, it’ll never happen.

Perfectionism and procrastination are rooted in fear, which enables inaction. Instead, embrace progress over perfection. Done is better than perfect, and execution trumps everything. You can’t make strides in your career until you take action, which will almost always be before you feel ready. Do it anyway.

3. Hoard your insights —> Share your wisdom

Wisdom is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight. But it transforms into something truly powerful when it is shared.

Why? Because all the wisdom in the world is meaningless without application.

Yet many eschew this and choose instead to hoard their insights, fearful of giving them away. They don’t understand a simple truth: sharing your wisdom doesn’t diminish your impact; it amplifies it. And today, the best way to magnify your message is to harness the power and reach of social media.

When you freely and regularly share your wisdom, those most important to you will look to you as a guidepost, a trusted thought leader who strives to serve others by communicating the lessons they’ve learned in a genuine and compelling way.

4. Avoid hard conversations —> Initiative difficult talks

Here’s the thing about difficult conversations: they never get easier.

We worry about ruffling feathers or how others will receive us, so we buy time by procrastinating. Worse, we may lie to ourselves and stay in denial, telling ourselves it’s not that important. But the longer we avoid something, the worse it gets, and the more time passes, keeping us stuck in an uncomfortable limbo.

If you’re hemming and hawing on having a difficult conversation, you’re only delaying the pain—and confusion. By tackling it head-on and initiating a hard conversation, you’ll address the issue at hand and begin to move forward.

5. Be busy —> Be productive

Being busy won’t help you progress in your career. Getting caught up in your to-do list and every incoming request will leave you exhausted and wondering why you haven’t accomplished much.

Busy people offer unfettered access; productive people protect their time. Be like the latter by setting boundaries and communicating reasonable expectations, learning to say no to people and things that don’t align with your goals, and identifying and intentionally staying focused on what matters most.

By making these simple swaps, you’ll start leveling up your career in no time.

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When I'm not actively creating momentum (this newsletter and the other kind), I'm a social media ghostwriter. (Yep, that's a thing.) I help founders craft their stories to communicate and connect better, magnifying their reach and impact. (Think personal branding and thought leadership.) Contact me if you'd like my help.