There are many wrong moves you can make in your career. We’ve all fallen on our faces a few times, especially during the learning curve of a new job. But some mistakes are worse than others.

Today I’m focusing on some of the common mistakes that can ruin your career and how you can avoid them. I won’t include the obvious ones like doing something illegal. Everyone should already know not to do anything illegal!

6 Common Mistakes That Can Cause Career Ruin

1. Agreeing to a superior’s order to do something unethical.

It’s obvious to most people not to do anything illegal in their career. But it may not be so obvious to others they shouldn’t do anything unethical. Even if it’s an order from your supervisor.

If your supervisor has no problem making such a request, he or she probably has no problem throwing you under the bus when the unethical act is discovered. And it will eventually be discovered. Everything comes to light sooner or later.

If ever faced with an order to do something unethical, explain your discomfort and document the conversation. If your boss tries to push the matter or threatens to fire you, start looking for a new job ASAP! You do not want to continue working for someone like this.

If you get fired for refusing the order, you should be able to collect unemployment until you find something new. And depending on the circumstances, you may have a legal case worth pursuing.

2. Relying on just one source of income.

Since anything can happen in your career where a scenario like the one described above could leave you suddenly without a job, you should never rely on just one source of income.

As I’ve written before, there’s no such thing as job security in any company. So start NOW pursuing a side hustle or passion project for a little extra money or start making smart investments. This will help tide you over if you find yourself between jobs or decide to start your own business.

3. Accepting a counter-offer from your current employer.

One of my co-workers at a university where I used to do career advising started looking for a new job at a different university. When he had a potential offer from another place, he casually mentioned to me he might tell our supervisor to see if she’d counter-offer with more money to get him to stay.

I looked him dead in the eyes and told him “Do NOT do it!” He looked a little confused when he asked me “Why not?”

I told him taking a counter-offer can be career suicide. My answer is the same to you if you’re considering accepting a counter-offer.

There’s a reason (or reasons, plural) why you went looking for work elsewhere in the first place. It’s likely those reasons won’t change if you stay for more money. And while the additional money may seem great at first, it won’t outweigh the distrust and resentment which will grow between you and your supervisor or co-workers after cutting this type of deal.

When you do finally leave your employer (and you will), word will get around to other potential employers how you manipulated the situation. This will make you the kind of candidate they won’t want to hire.

4. Overstaying at an unhealthy job.

If your job is affecting your mental or even your physical health, it’s time to go. No job is worth your sanity or your health.

If you overstay at a job like this, you could become so unhealthy you run the risk of not being able to work at all, and therefore losing your income anyway.

Do what it takes to find something new using the resources available on this blog and on paNASH’s on-demand video courses.

5. Agreeing to take on extra work without extra pay for an indefinite amount of time.

There may be times when your company is short-staffed and you have to pick up the slack. When it’s necessary to take on extra work for the best interest of the entire company, you should do so.

However, this should only be temporary. And before agreeing to this, ask what the set end date will be for the extra workload. If you’re told, “until things settle down,” don’t accept this as an answer.

Instead, indicate the length of time you’re willing to do the extra work and schedule a meeting as soon as possible to discuss how you’ll be compensated for any extra work done beyond the specified date.

For instance, you’d say, “I’m happy to cover Sallly’s projects until the end of May. You and I can meet next week to decide how to move forward in June.”

Whatever agreement you come to, get it in writing.

If you’re still doing Sally’s work in June, you need a title change and pay adjustment, or at least a bonus.

6. Promising your employer you won’t job hunt.

Unless there’s a formal agreement in place or you’re receiving tuition reimbursement, never promise not to job hunt or to stay with your company for any specific length of time.

If your boss begs you to stay in a time of high turn-over or a rough patch, ask her for an employment agreement giving you the same assurance she’s asking of you. If she won’t or can’t, don’t allow better opportunities to pass you by.

These are just a handful of mistakes that can ruin your career, but equipped with the knowledge above you’ll be able to maneuver these landmines so you can move successfully through your chosen career path unscathed. Consider it career self-defense!

Click here for more career advice.

Related Posts:

• What Are the Biggest Career Mistakes You Should Avoid?
• What You Need to Know About a Job Loss
• You Don’t Have to Be a Slave to a Paycheck
• Want More Job Security? Do This One Simple Thing
• When Is the Right Time to Leave Your Job?

Can you believe 2018 is coming to an end? I can’t. This year has gone by so fast!

paNASH and many of paNASH’s clients have had so many great moments in 2018.

I worked hard this year to create more community among my clients by hosting a client-mixer in May, conducting monthly group coaching calls, and establishing a private Slack channel for my clients to serve as a resource for each other.

Also, paNASH was once again named one of the top 10 best coaches in Nashville by Expertise.com for the second year in a row.

Client Successes for 2018

Several paNASH clients are ending 2018 very differently from how they started it. They’ve experienced some major wins and successes.

These wins include leaving old jobs and landing new jobs, furthering their education, starting side hustles, and some even starting their own businesses.

For example:

New Jobs

One client left her previous job where there were no growth opportunities so she could attend coding school. A week before her graduation she landed a position with a well-respected company. She’d previously interviewed with this same company several years ago prior to receiving coaching but didn’t get an offer. Once she made a career change, the doors at this company opened up for her.

Another client who has a passion for politics landed a job with the Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, and said goodbye to her old job that was causing her extreme burnout.

Just last week, a client accepted an offer for his dream job. During his coaching sessions he repeatedly said, “I REALLY want this!” And he got it!

Side Hustles

You’ve already read this year about my client Robert who came to a crossroads of having to choose between a well-paying job that made him miserable and an opportunity that would grow his side hustle in animation and possibly turn into a full-time thing with one of Disney’s former top animators. (Click here for that amazing story!)

Speaking of side hustles, another paNASH client discovered a side hustle through our coaching sessions she’d never considered before: voice-over work. She’s started taking voice-over lessons and has already landed a few paying gigs. This allows her to make extra money and provides a creative outlet her current full-time job doesn’t provide.

Business Start-Ups and Creative Outlets

And speaking of finding creative outlets, another client who used to sing gained from her coaching experience the confidence to get back on stage, this time in a lead vocal role of a production of Little Shop of Horrors. She says:

Last year when I started on a new journey, I was apprehensive, and pretty freaked out. When I first met with Lori, she asked a lot of questions that I wasn’t totally sure of the answers. I went home after the first meeting and really pondered on these questions, and came to the conclusion that I needed help.

The first few sessions felt like I was going around in circles. As our time progressed, I began to feel like I was moving forward.

This past year I have really begun to open myself up to the possibilities in my life. I’m in the process of starting my own business. And I was presented with the opportunity to join the cast of Little Shop of Horrors.

I began to really think about when was the last time I’d taken a risk, and I was shocked. It had been ten years since my last risk which was moving to Nashville not knowing anyone.

So, I took a deep breath and said yes to the role in the musical which would allow me to pursue my passion for singing that I had lost after graduating from Belmont’s music program.

paNASH’s coaching has helped me rediscover my former passions and discover new ones. But most of all it’s given me the confidence to pursue them. This year has proven to be astounding.

A few months after the stage production, my client took another risk by adopting a 13-year-old girl with her husband!

Then there’s the client who got married and started a business with her new husband that’s growing so fast they can barely keep up with the demand. The business not only lines up with both of their experience and passions, but also has a strong market.

I always get excited when I see my clients successfully pursue their passions by using the skills and courage gained from their coaching sessions.

What about you?

As we close out 2018, can you look back on the past year and see that you’ve made some major inroads toward your own goals?

Are you where you wanted to be at the end of 2018?

If not, why? Is it simply because you’re still working toward those goals?

Or is it because you haven’t started yet? If you haven’t started, why not?

Do you really want to find yourself in the same place again this time next year?

The Good News

The good news is, come January 1st you get a clean slate of 365 days to work with. Start by trying to answer these three questions:

• What’s one new experience you want to have in 2019?
• What’s one way you can step out of your comfort zone in the new year?
• What goals do you want to achieve in 2019?

Don’t let another year pass you by. Learn how to achieve all of the above with a complimentary 8-Step Goal-Achievement Plan by subscribing to the paNASH newsletter.

If you’re already a subscriber, then perhaps your next step is to try some coaching sessions. To learn more, complete the paNASH intake form. There are no obligations to filling out the form, so you have nothing to lose!

Happy new year!

Related Posts:

• Make 2018 the Year of the Right Regrets
• When is the Right Time to Leave Your Job?
• You Don’t Have to Be a Slave to a Paycheck

I’m so grateful to all you readers who loyally follow the paNASH blog from week to week. I love hearing your stories of how a particular blog post gave you the courage to pursue your passions. Your support and feedback means so much to me.

As a thank you, here’s a collection of the most popular paNASH blog posts of 2018.

Top Ten paNASH Blog Posts of 2018

1. Should You Share Your Side Hustle on Your Resume?
2. How to Make Your Sucky Job More Bearable (Until You Can Leave)
3. What You Need to Know to Ensure a Successful Career
4. Why “Can I Pick Your Brain?” Is the Wrong Approach
5. How to Overcome Negative Self-Talk Like an Olympian
6. “Follow Your Heart” is Bad Advice. REALLY Bad Advice! (Re-post)
7. Quiz: Do You Really Need to Spend Money on a Career Coach?
8. The Best Way to Write a Successful Elevator Speech
9. Why “Keep It Simple, Stupid” is the Best Career Advice
10. Never Say Never: How to Know When You Should Let a Bridge Burn

Please Share!

Please feel free to share any of the above posts or other paNASH blog posts on your social media platforms and with your friends so others can also benefit from them. Thank you!

Check out additional posts on Medium.com.

You may remember my blog post on the lesson of mindfulness. It was a lesson I learned when I went to the new Adventure Park Nashville ropes course.

It was all about how important it is to focus on the moment instead of always thinking and planning ahead (something I’m guilty of).

Well, when I returned to the ropes course and took a friend with me, it was obvious there was another lesson I needed to share with my readers.

This one is based on the old adage,

“KISS: keep it simple, stupid.”

Keep It Simple, Stupid

This time around I did some courses that were higher off the ground and more challenging. But what I noticed is not every element was as challenging as they first appeared.

While applying the previous lesson of focusing on only one bridge element at a time, I’d arrive at a new element and would study its configuration to figure out the best way to maneuver across it.

Upon first glance, most of them looked very complicated.

But instead of thinking too much about how to get across, I would just take the first step onto the element.

Once I did, it suddenly became clear that what looked like a real obstacle requiring a lot of thought and energy to maneuver was really very simple to get around.

We as a society, myself and my clients included, often overthink things when instead we should keep it simple.

To learn more about how to break your goals and obstacles into more manageable steps so you’re not overthinking things, subscribe to my newsletter and receive a complimentary copy of the 8-Step Goal-Achievement Plan.

Related Posts:

• Mindfulness: How to Be More Successful By Living In the Moment
• How to Make the Risk of Starting Your Own Business Doable
• 5 Common Fears (and Myths) of Quitting a Job You Hate