Toxicity in the workplace is hard to ignore, especially when it’s coming from the inside out. If you find that you aren’t progressing as much as you’d hope to in your career, it may be due to your personality traits. To succeed in professional career it is not sufficient to work hard. Your personal traits matter as much as your professional ones. The following eight toxic traits are keeping you from succeeding in your career:
- Indecisiveness
To really succeed in your career, you need to have a laser-sharp focus and a clear idea of everything you want out of life. While it takes time to figure out where you want your career to go, spending years floundering in indecisiveness only serves to hold you back from reaching your true potential.
Instead of going to work solely to earn a paycheck, think about what you really want in your career. What fulfils you? What do you want to be doing 10 years from now? The answers to these questions will help you to swap your indecisiveness for a crystal-clear image of your future.
- Insecurity
Becoming confident doesn’t happen overnight. However, failing to take the necessary steps to work on your confidence means you are comfortable living in insecurity. Instead of going after what you want, making sure your hard work is properly acknowledged, or putting in the effort to network and take advantage of every resource, insecurity encourages you to simply settle for whatever life has handed you.
If insecurity is holding you back in your professional and personal life, it’s time to do something about it. Keynote speakers like Kevin Abdulrahman help to expose these destructive and toxic traits, teaching people how to transform into confident, passionate, and strong leaders. Learning these important life skills will put you light years ahead of the person you used to be.
- Disorganization
We all have our own comfort levels when it comes to organization and cleanliness. While you don’t need to be a neat freak to succeed in life, there is something to be said about disorganization. The way you present yourself to the world matters. This includes the way you dress, the way you organize your office space, and how you accomplish your work.
If you come across as scatter-brained or apathetic about your appearance or work, you aren’t likely to move forward in your career. Start working on your disorganization by making every effort to tighten your work habits and behavior. Dress for the job you want, complete work to the best of your abilities, and do all you can to create a workspace that lends itself to ultimate productivity. The more of an effort you make, the better you will fare in the working world.
- Unrealistic Mindsets
Whether you have positive or negative unrealistic expectations, failing to view life from a realistic perspective can ruin your career. For example, many people assume that the harder they work, the more money they will make. While this can be true in some situations, if you never take the steps to get another degree, gain more experience, or apply for higher paying position, you’ll likely stay in the same place you are now.
Similarly, someone that expects to stay at the same minimum wage job for the rest of their life isn’t living in reality. This is an example of a person that has become too comfortable with their life. While it may serve their needs now, choosing to stay in the same place at the same position is only limiting their potential.
- Procrastination
Constantly putting off work and waiting until things are “convenient” is ultimately a sign of laziness. When it comes to getting work done, there isn’t ever a “right time”. The nature of work is that it isn’t convenient. We must change our lives to where we get our work done in a convenient way, not the other way around.
Whether you’re procrastinating that big project or avoiding applying for that promotion, in these situations, you’re the only one that is holding yourself back. If you’ve got something to do–just do it now. Even if you’re tired, uncomfortable, or unhappy, completing it now means you have less work to do in the future.
- Technophobia
Learning the ins and outs of new technology can be a bit nerve-wracking, but it is an essential part of working in today’s world. Using the latest technology is not a choice; if you want to succeed you need to change with the times.
If you hope to progress in your career, you need to change your mindset. Start getting excited about new trends and the latest tech innovations. Take it upon yourself to learn how to use these systems and software so you’re ready to use them when they come into your workplace.
- Perfectionism
Perfectionism may seem like a positive thing, but when you really dive into this personality trait, it reveals something toxic: you’re never happy with your work or the work of others.
As a perfectionist, you likely hate working with others, take forever to complete certain projects, and are never satisfied with your work. All of these things make for a negative working experience for everyone, including you. If you are a perfectionist, it’s time to change your mindset. Instead of aiming for perfection, strive to do your best with the guidelines and timeframe you’ve been given.
- Entitlement
While confidence is a must for anyone in the workplace, many people mistake their entitlement for confidence. These people believe that the world owes them something.
Regardless of your industry, no one starts out at the top. You need to work with what you have and start working your way up. Put in the effort, network with colleagues and mentors, and keep learning new things. Whenever you feel some entitlement start to creep up, choose to be humble. Regardless of your talent, experiences, or background, the world owes you nothing.
If any of these traits sound familiar, it’s time to do some self-reflection. We all have negative qualities we need to work on. Let this guide inspire you to better yourself and improve your prospects for the future.
