What Are the Top 10 Biggest Career Mistakes to Avoid in Life? COVID-19 Focus

1. Failing to Know What Matters Most in 2020: The world is dealing with a global pandemic. People are dying, mental and physical health issues are growing. This is not a normal year, divorce is through the roof, families are strained. Don't expect normal productivity, employee engagement, or company growth. Be empathetic and kind to each other. Slow down or burn out.

2. Failing to Be Authentic At Your Interview: Managers won't hire people they can't trust. And they need people they can count on this year more than ever. COVID-19 is trimming the fat. Be honest with your skills and focus on your strengths. Be your authentic you.

3. Failing to Be Consistent: No one likes a someone who is inconsistent at life, work, or how they do things. To support your team, and build your brand through trust, be consistent.

4. Failing to Save Money, especially in 2020: I don't know where all this money is going, but if you're working in IT or Business, and not saving money now, then really you probably never will. Saving money gives your future self options to work on the thing you've always wanted. It also empowers you to have options.

5. Failing to Find Your Balance: 'No morning commute' does not mean working 1 hour earlier and staying 1 hour later, and yet thats what the stats and numbers are showing. Work highly productive by literally putting your phone in another room so you don't check social media every 10 minutes. Focus on being productive and then set your work limits. Tell your boss. Don't answer your emails after 5pm.

6. Failing to Be Good All the Time via Exercise & Diet: Want a promotion? Your brain and body needs fuel. And I'm not talking a 10pm bag of chips and 11pm glass of wine. What you eat will reflect in how you work and will show up in the mistakes you make. Eating well the night before will translate into a great nights sleeping. Trust me, since starting 2020 Sober October I'm sleeping all the way through, 7+ hours per night and I'm feeling better already! It's never too late to join our fun challenge this month.

7. Failing to Ask For Project work: If you want to move up, ask for work on projects that interest you. This will lead to new business connections and they're always looking for great talent to promote.

8. Failing to Have Internal Dialogue at Work: Review your days after your day is over. Go for a walk and instead of turning on that PODCAST, have a conversation with yourself on what you loved about your day, and what you didn't. Find more ways to do what you love.

9. Don't Take Any Promotion: Promotions are other people telling you who they think you should be. They are also helping someone else fill a role. A promotion doesn't mean it's who you were meant to be. In fact, it may take you further away from who that happier version of you was. More money does not mean more happiness.

10. Failing to Get Specialized: If you want to keep your job, or get a better one, learn the market trends for your career path. My big game changing leap was getting my Project Management Certification. And then other designations I picked up after that. NOTE: Stop once you have the key certifications to focus on your experience.

BONUS x1: Failing to save your work as you go! Note...I just had to write this article... twice...because as much as we all want to master the big things, sometimes the little things, like saving your work every few minutes, or turning out-save on...will save you in your day ; )

BONUS x2: Remote work, really does work. And provides many benefits that are the new normal. So while the photo above is a great business meeting shot from 2019 (which feels like 100 years ago), it really shouldn't be happening anymore. Meetings, great meetings, should actually look more like below...

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About the author - Goran Yerkovich's articles have been featured on Fatherly.com, Yahoo, MSN, and Flipboard. Goran is the founder and principle author of The-Inspired.com, an online magazine designed to help readers grow their careers and develop their personal goals. The-Inspired.com also includes some of the best but most misunderstood tools, tactics, and habits from the greatest minds of today and yesterday. Goran lives in the greater Vancouver area with his wife and two cats Kimchi and Kauai.