If you want the fastest growth for yourself, you need to step out of your comfort zone today.

Have you ever wondered why you’ve stayed at one organization for so long, doing repetitive tasks until you begin to dislike it?

Are you sure you haven’t considered moving on to grow like your colleagues who leave when they want to, without overextending themselves?

Have you ever contemplated why some people are more afraid of change and taking risks toward their goals, while others seem happy accepting challenges and moving towards growth?

Have you ever thought about why you too need to step out of your comfort zone and try something different and better?

Have you ever wondered why someone in a similar position is earning much more than you?

What are the exact differences?

Hello,

I am very thankful that you are here and looking into the words that I wanted to say. 

You know, in everyone’s career, when we start, we think, ‘Oh, this is my job, and I will be here for a long time and settle my life.’ But by the time you complete your first year of the journey, you begin to think about the growth that was expected from the organization. If there’s a mismatch, you start disliking your job, work with no interest, and look at others who are earning more in the same position.

This is the harsh truth, but we don’t accept it promptly; instead, we keep doing the same repetitive jobs in the same place.

I started my career with one of the biggest MNC companies, which is a top player in the publishing industry. There, everything was settled; my office bus arrived on time, took me to work punctually, and returned me home on schedule. Life was exactly as I wanted it. Although it was my first job and the pay wasn’t great, I believed that if I worked hard, I could earn more. One day, as I strolled around the canteen area, I asked, ‘Hey, how much can I expect my salary to increase by next year?’ They told me it would be in the range of 2% to 5%. I was shocked; I thought, ‘This won’t be enough for me to live in such an expensive city and make ends meet by that time I took my decision and left that company which was so big and settled, where people were working from almost 20 years at the same chair and spent their time with same coffee mug. 

You know, I am never in favour of leaving the company, not at all. I wanted to stay, support, and actively participate in its growth. However, over time, my thought processes changed due to the day-to-day job, and I found myself treating myself like a regular employee who simply shows up for the month’s end salary to pay the bills.

When I decided to leave and wasn’t at all in the mood to continue with the company job, I received another job opportunity with at least a 50% salary increase, and I decided to join. It was then that I realized how great it was. If I had stayed in my previous company and sought an increment, I would have received only 2% to 5%. However, after making that switch, I secured a 50% hike, equivalent to what I would have earned in my previous big MNC company over 4 to 5 years.

For me, switching companies and increasing my salary became a game. I switched to many companies in just one year which was not good at all but eventually, I decided not to join any full-time job around 2012 to 2013 and I started building my career as a full-time freelancer. At that time I was a big fan of this book:

I really cracked the rule of getting clients, winning jobs and earning more and more. I earned over $30,000 after spending a few years and at that time it was good money to live a really wealthier life. 

While I was building my career as a freelancer, my thoughts started changing, and I began to behave like an entrepreneur. I opened my own office and started hiring virtual employees to get work done. At that time I knew how to start and how to survive individually without any organisation involvement. 

One day, I received a call from a newly launched startup that was well-funded. They offered me a higher salary, and I accepted their offer, transitioning into the startup environment. It marked a significant change in my life, including my thoughts and behaviour. However, after a few months, I found myself reverting to the mindset of a regular employee, focusing solely on the month-end salary and completely forgetting about my individual aspirations and entrepreneurial behaviour.

After spending 1.5 years, I decided to leave that place and the city to pursue a completely different path and seek growth differently. Once again, I found a new opportunity and increased my salary by almost 35% compared to my previous one. Then, one day, the company shut down, and I moved to another one where I received an even higher hike.

I’ve come to realize that salary growth can happen whenever you desire, but at the same time, you need to consider the impact of the work you’re giving your 100% to. Look at my graph- 

Salary and growth are limitless but you have to keep yourself in the right place first and think about these essential questions too: 

Are you engaged in meaningful work? 

Are you genuinely pursuing your passion and progressing in your chosen field? 

Are you giving 100%? 

Are you getting your desired salary?

If the answer is ‘No,’ please make that change today, and your growth will happen with your desire for sure!

Stay Tuned,

Vikash J

Please comment in the comment box if you like this article and if you find it useful. I always share pointers with a story so that I can share the real experiences that I’ve gone through.