Actually you are gauged by your past accomplishments, they are the halo which surrounds you and which is perceived by others. Not only that but it is your most recent accomplishments which shine the brightest in this halo.
There are some important implications from this:
- Regardless of what you might be capable of, you will find yourself defined by what you are doing or have done. Branching out into new areas or being given the opportunity to do so decreases as the brightness of your halo grows.
- On the positive side, the halo can shine so bright that some of the mistakes you have made might be overlooked, especially if you have been effective in achieving successful outcomes which benefit the company our your employer. This is the normal path to promotion.
- On the negative side, the halo can take on a tint of failure if poor choices accumulate to the point that the company is negatively affected, particularly if those poor choices are repeated. Sadly, your halo defining you remains but now proclaims you are incompetent. This is the path to obscurity or unemployment.
The moral of this story: Stop periodically and evaluate what your halo is saying about you and if you don't like where you are headed create an escape strategy to move to a different future.
- Apply for a completely different type of job,
- go back and get a different degree,
- figure out why you are making poor choices and get some help in making better ones,
- etc.
You don't have to accept your current halo, but don't be naive and assume there isn't one there and that others can see it.
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