How do you supercharge your professional life?

The choices you make every day will set the course of your life, so how do you know you are making the right choices? 

Supercharging your professional life involves taking intentional steps to realize your inner potential. It's your vision and values as a North Star, then undertaking opportunities to fulfill them. It starts with knowing what WINNING means for you, and how you want to get there.

When your values and vision align with your organization's, you will arrive in a "zone" with no negativity, distractions, or fear. Instead, you will attain aplomb while delivering tremendous results for yourself and the team. 

Conversely, if you feel misaligned, you must be brave enough to move on because staying in the wrong cultural environment will impede your and the organization's progress while instilling bad habits.

 Based on my experience, I'll share three building blocks to help you make the right choices:

1. Knowing Yourself.

Most people don't take time to self-reflect. Therefore, you should take time to identify your core beliefs, motivations, and vision for the future. 

Start by asking yourself these simple questions:

• What do you stand for? 
• What does WINNING mean for you at your highest self?
• What is your biggest professional dream?
• How do you want to get there?
• Would you still engage in your profession if you were financially free?
• What activities give you fulfillment? 

Identify your Personal Values. 

Values are often defined naturally through life experiences that have left a profoundly positive or negative impression. These experiences become part of who you are and your core beliefs. For example, early in my life, I witnessed animal cruelty firsthand. It shaped one of my core beliefs, to cause no harm to animals, and it is one of the main reasons I chose to be a part of Purple Carrot, a plant-based food company.

Craft your Personal Vision statement. 

The easiest way to create your Vision Statement is by visualizing your future ten years from now. Imagine yourself in different roles, places, and scenarios surrounded by things that motivate you and bring you peace of mind with a relentless zeal to pursue it. For example, imagine yourself as head of finance at a major firm, becoming an entrepreneur, or achieving recognition as a top-level athlete. Take time to think through various examples to identify and understand what appeals to you. While your Vision may evolve, writing it down is an essential starting point. Stay open as your vision unfolds; the roadmap never remains static as you grow and learn. 

Test your assumptions.

Once you've identified your Values and Personal Vision, it's time to try out your assumptions to see what works for you. 

• Find a mentor.
• Try different side projects. 
• Join a startup boot camp and try out your interests.
• Study the journey of people you admire, including backgrounds, books, and podcasts.
• Put it to WORK to see how it feels in action. 

2. How do you find the right organization?

Your goal is to find an organization that aligns with your values and vision while offering opportunities to grow and learn through increasing responsibilities. 

While you can read about an organization's culture on its website and walls, you must see its principles play out in action to determine if they actually "walk the talk." Take time to explore an organization's culture through various lenses, such as:

What does the company stand for?

• What are the organization's mission and culture? 
• How do the company’s priorities align - are they sales-focused, customer-focused, purpose-led, or investor driven?
• What is the Company's Vision? Is the Vision incremental, or are they set up to achieve a big audacious goal?

How is the team held accountable/rewarded?

• What is the performance and reward system?
• Who are the top performers, and why? Do they have increasing responsibilities/roles over a period of time? 

How does the company make decisions? 

• Are decisions coming from the top? Or vice-versa: Do teams/leaders closest to the problems decide?
• How are the teams organized?
• What is the cross-functional fabric of the company? Do different teams have a shared purpose, goals, and ownership? How well do they interact/work with one another?
• How are the disagreements sorted out? 

Where does the organization stand on issues important to you? 

• Make a list of important issues and find out the organization's position. Do these align with your Values?

How does the organization execute, and what's its speed-to-market? 

• Is the rate of speed congruent with the organization's Values and customer expectations? 

3. Putting your superpower into action!

• You will need to amplify your focus and give it all you have. There are no shortcuts here, as discovering your highest potential is not for the faint-hearted. When you fail, pause to learn, get up and try again with amplified commitment and work.  
• You will need to make decisions for the long haul. Don’t chase titles, compensation, or lifestyle. Instead, choose the opportunities that maximize fulfillment or impact and learning. Welcome, all problems and challenges that help you grow with the right mindset but carry on with an indomitable will to make it happen. 

Now's the time to be the driver of your own life. Self-knowledge is power. Don't be a backseat passenger. Take the wheel now and become a driver in your life's journey. Knowing what you want and where you are going will enable you to shape your destiny. 

Armed with a better understanding of yourself, your core beliefs, and test results from your assumptions, you can make the best choices throughout your life. Here’s to your success! I will be rooting for you.