Springing Towards Success in Your ServiceNow Career (and Life in General)
Spring is finally peeking around the corner (for those of us in the northern hemisphere) and with it comes feelings of hope, renewal, eager anticipation, and inspiration. How can we make the most of that energy and channel it into our lives this spring?
Spring Fever
I’m from Idaho, a state in the US that has some pretty harsh winters. Between the lack of sunlight, the sub-zero temperatures, and the nasty wind chill, winter can be pretty dark and dreary. In the words of Phil Connors, from the movie Groundhog Day (a family favorite as Groundhog Day marks the halfway point to the end of winter), sometimes it feels like “there is no way this winter is ever going to end”.
And yet, it inevitably does! The snow slowly starts melting, temperatures rise, and the sun shines a little brighter for a little longer. As winter gives way to spring, people often experience a state of restlessness, excitement, and increased energy, commonly referred to as “spring fever”. Hang onto this feeling! It is a fabulous motivator to get moving.
Spring Cleaning
Typically, the first manifestation of spring fever in my life is the urge to jump into some serious spring cleaning. There is something so satisfying about decluttering and dejunking. Usually, when people refer to spring cleaning, they are referring to their living spaces. While that is certainly a fabulous place to start, spring cleaning can take place in other areas of our lives as well. For example, why not apply some spring cleaning principles to your diet with less cookies and more carrots? Or to your relationships with more kindness and less criticism? Or to your productivity at work with more coding and less Candy Crush? It is my belief that we all have a bit of spring cleaning we can do.
While we are on the topic, don’t forget to do a little spring cleaning in your ServiceNow instance (and whatever productivity tools you use in your day-to-day work life). You might want to take a look at ServiceNow’s Table Cleaner feature to clean up old data, or check out Earl’s awesome article on steps for backing up your PDI. I also find it helpful to clean up and organize old notes and files that I have stored in various places on my computer. I promise you that your future self will be thanking you for taking the time now to spring clean your workspace.
Spring into Action
The next step is to spring into action! Take that renewed energy and that clean slate and put them towards learning new skills, tackling new challenges, and exploring new parts of the ServiceNow platform. Build skills that make you marketable, whether that’s for a promotion in your own company or a resume builder for a job you would like to get.
I personally have found the Now Learning portal to be very helpful as I have tried to spring into action with my own career growth. I have also learned a lot just by signing up for and using a Personal Developer Instance (PDI). When I have questions about something on the platform or a fun idea for an app, I go to my PDI and play around! From YouTube videos to blog posts to community forums, there are plenty of resources out there for honing your ServiceNow skills.
Now is also a great time to dust off those soft skills. Leadership, communication, teamwork, time management, creativity, etc are just as important (if not more) to our lives as our technical skills. Soft skills show employers that you are able to grow and adapt to a new environment. While soft skills are definitely important in our professional lives, they are vital in our personal lives. Taking the time to develop those characteristics will strengthen all aspects of your life, not just your career.
Spring into action by taking charge of your personal growth! Only you can make the changes you want to see in your life.
Springing Forward
We all have hopes and dreams for ourselves and for our lives. Take the time to outline a plan for how you will make those dreams become a reality! Start by visualizing where you want to be in one year, five years, and then ten years. Look at the current trajectory of your life now and determine if you are on a path that will take you where you want to go. The direction you are facing is more important than the speed at which you are moving.
If there are changes you need to make in your life (and I guarantee there will be), start small. Take it a step at a time. Set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (aka SMART Goals, introduced by George T. Doran). As you work towards these goals, you will find your trajectory shifting to one that will take you where you want to go. Once you feel you are pointed in the right direction, spring forward! Take the leap of faith!
As the blossoms appear and the sunlight warms the air, embrace the spring fever! Spring clean some of the dust and cobwebs in your house and your life and then spring into action with some lifelong learning. Soon you’ll find yourself springing forward into the future that you choose to create for yourself.
Happy Spring!
