Jobs are temporary. A career is a journey.

It represents the time and effort you spend working to master a particular field and may span multiple individual jobs.

But, as with any journey, you’ll face hazards and setbacks along the way. Here are two potentially harmful mindsets that can become roadblocks to your professional success,

Career-identity confusion
Careers are important. Excellence is important. They provide metrics to evaluate your success. But neither defines your worth as a person. It doesn’t make you a failure if a career doesn’t work out like you had imagined it would. Likewise, scoring a huge sale or landing a promotion doesn’t increase your fundamental value.

Finding your meaning and purpose gives you the resilience to withstand temporary setbacks and keep pushing forward.

Perfectionism
Perfectionism is linked with numerous mental health issues.¹ It’s no wonder why. Demanding perfection from yourself and others is a surefire way to be consistently disappointed. And when you don’t meet your own self-imposed standards, it can feel absolutely devastating and paralyzing.

Instead of pushing yourself to the breaking point and berating yourself over failures, take a moment to own up to your mistakes and then forgive yourself. Don’t let life’s hiccups define you and your life. In fact, they can be vital opportunities to learn and expand your perspective. But that wisdom is only accessible once you release the drive to be perfect.

The key to navigating a career is perspective. Perspective allows you to see what matters and what’s insignificant. Examine your motives. Why are you pursuing your career? Is it because you’re passionate about it? Because it provides for your family? Because it can make you lots of money? Once you set your eye on your higher goals and calling, it becomes much easier to avoid toxic mindsets that may threaten your career and success.