The Most Powerful Career Hacks
10 timeless insights for improving your career and working well.
Today at a Glance:
On December 3rd, 2022, my wife Nataly and I got married on the beaches of Sayulita, Mexico. This is my first newsletter published since returning from our destination wedding last week. The ceremony and reception was a dream come true - something powerful beyond words. I can say the experience has made a lasting impact on my heart, mind, and soul.
For employees to advance and grow into leadership positions, they need to design their own career development strategies. Below is a list of my favorite career hacks for creating more value and accelerating career growth. My hope is that reading this list will spark a breakthrough in your professional development.
Highlights From Getting Married
Although this newsletter is mainly focused on leadership, project management, and continuous improvement, I wanted to share a few words on our wedding, love, and the the most important things in life.
If you’re a practitioner of leadership principles, you know that leadership bleeds into all areas of your life. Leadership skills go with you where ever you are. It goes with you to work, you take it home to your family, and helps you create the future.
With everything that goes into the wedding day, I definitely had to do as leaders do and put myself in the “eye of the storm.” This framework allowed me to be present in the chaos and enjoy the moment which was amazing to reflect on. It reconfirmed how valuable leadership skills are.
On December 3rd, 2022, my wife Nataly and I got married on the beaches of Sayulita, Mexico. It was a dream. The wedding was incredible and something so beautiful it’s hard to sum up into words. It reminded me of what’s most important in life:
Family & Friendship - If you had everything else stripped away from you except your family and dearest friends - your life will always feel full. However, if you lost your family and dearest friends but kept your career, loser friends, hobbies, and possessions - your life would feel empty. Takeaway: always cherish your family & dearest friends.
Love - The energy of love is the highest energy we can experience and acts of love raise our consciousness of the world. The unconditional love of family is an indescribable feeling and although you may not always see eye-to-eye, respect each other’s uniqueness and do your best to show your love more often.
A New Definition of Success - Success means having those closest to me, who know me the best, love and respect me the most. Now success for me is only possible if I include my wife and children in the journey. My success depends on putting my family first. Ask yourself: Is your pursuit of success drawing you closer to – or farther from – the most important people in your life?
Here is our 90 second highlight reel of the wedding weekend. Thank you to everyone who who was there for us on our special day! The weekend would not be nearly as memorable without all of you there. #FiestaNitchen
10 Timeless Career Growth Hacks
2023 is almost here, another fresh new year. Are you ready to take your career to the next level?
If so, you’re likely in need of a few good career hacks that will help you get started. If you’re tired of the same old career advice that doesn’t seem to get you anywhere, this is for you.
Here are 10 short, timeless insights for moving the needle in your career.
Hack #1 - Spend 15 minutes on Sunday evening preparing for what your first focus tasks are going to be on Monday morning. That 15 minutes will save you 2 hours, a whole lot of stress, and create momentum for the week ahead. Don’t over-engineer it. Get one small thing done that makes the next morning look and feel easier.
Hack #2 - When you’re starting your career, “swallow the frog” (do the worst task) for your boss to get ahead. Observe your boss, figure out what they hate doing, learn to do it, and take it off their plate. It’s an easy way to add value, put up a win, and stand out immediately.
Hack #3 - Set your emails to have a 60-second delay before sending. You notice most mistakes immediately after hitting send - the delay allows you catch them. Also, if you’re sending an email in the heat of the moment, the delay lets you cool off and reassess if it’s worth it before it enters the world. This is just one hack to sending highly effective emails.
Hack #4 - Batch email processing into condensed windows. Depending on your industry, it may be anywhere from 1-3 windows per day. Parkinson’s Law says that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. Force a time constraint on low-value tasks to get them done efficiently.
Hack #5 - Download a free focus app (I like Flow) to execute short sprints of focused work. The App will restrict any apps you want from being opening during your block. If you’re prone to checking your phone, put it in another room so that you physically can’t see or touch it. People often ask me how I’m able to do so many things at once and short sprints of focused work is one of the biggest contributors.
Hack #6 - Focus on building your personal brand online. Your personal brand is your most valuable career asset. In today’s world your online personal brand is the digitization of your reputation, and your reputation is forever the foundation of your career.
Your brand is about how someone feels in the moment when they interact with you or your business. People don’t understand this: playing the long game and building your reputation always plays out in your favor. Find out what makes you unique and exploit it in the service of others using the internet. An effective personal brand is intentional, 100% authentic, and offers as much value as possible.
Hack #7 - When you’re trying to learn something new, attempt to teach it to a friend or family member. See what questions they ask and how those questions expose the gaps in your knowledge. Study more to fill in those gaps. The act of teaching is the most powerful form of learning.
Hack #8 - When getting things done, understand the difference between a task that is urgent vs. important. Knowing when to do what will separate you immediately and move your career forward like never before. Doing more important tasks will yield a better future then constantly doing “urgent” tasks.
Hack #9 - Dress as the version of yourself you want to be. Taking action is only one half of creating success, whereas having the right mindset is the other. So, how can you step into the version of yourself who is confident and capable of achieving their goals? You dress the part! This is one of the best career hacks because a few simple wardrobe improvements can change how you carry yourself every day.
Hack #10 - Remember to shutdown at the end of the day. While the right career hacks will certainly get you far, so will taking time to rest and recharge. When I’m in the middle of big career sprints, I can often be working long intense hours. To minimize stress and avoid burnout, try developing an end of day shutdown ritual. Find what works for you but create yourself a mental aid station at the end of the day that recharges you for the next day’s sprint.
We can all strive to grow in our careers. Leveraging these timeless insights is a start.
I’d love to hear from you:
What are your favorite tips, tricks, or hacks that have created value in your life and work?
What are your favorites from this list?
Until next week,
Kyle Nitchen
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Congrats and best wishes to you and Nataly!