The Importance Of Not Listening To Naysayers

Naysayers are everywhere. The term naysayer is described as ‘a person who criticises, objects to, or opposes something’ and in this article, the ‘something’ is based upon you.

Many people claim to have our best interests at heart and whilst I would like to believe that they do, often they do not and they are being driven by what is best for them, or being clouded by their own experiences. More often than not, they will be voicing their opinions, their thoughts and feelings and therefore will be fairly biased when it comes to offering their advice.

There are many scenarios within the world of employment where you may feel confused as to what path to take and it is in our very nature to turn to others for advice on what to do. After all, many people are older, wiser and have been through similar dilemmas, right? Well, yes and no. Yes many people may have experiences that could be deemed as relatable and they can share their own circumstance, but no because no one is you. Due to the uniqueness of each individual, every one will see, hear, feel and experience a work situation in a very different way to any one else and it all comes down to perception.

This is why it is important not to literally take anyone's advice. Of course, listen and appreciate what they say but ultimately make your own decisions.

People fear change. They fear change about themselves and also about others. Even though we may want to change certain aspects of our working life and indeed any part of our life, the brain works very hard to keep us in safe mode. In  simple terms this is when the mind will tell us all the reasons why we should keep things just as they are.

As soon as you are in the process of initiating change or making decisions, you can almost guarantee that naysayers will appear. Whether you want to relocate to another area, apply to a different company, leave your job and change your career path altogether, learn a new skill to gain additional qualifications, wish to change the structure within your working pattern - the list of possible situations is endless. More often than not, people will advise against change as it is stepping into unknown territory.

These are just some of the comments that you are likely to hear from the naysayers! Why on earth would you want to change your job when you are progressing nicely within such a successful company? You won't get another job like this one! You wouldn't like an office environment- you’re better off staying where you are. You’re not clever enough for that type of work! I once knew someone that worked there - he said the people are horrible! It's too far to travel - you'll be stuck in traffic every day! There's no money in that type of work! You’ll regret it!

When making important decisions that affect your work and career, take your time, listen to you and refuse to let others influence you too much.