I got the job! Now what?

The job search. The interview. The first day of work. It's all very exciting and new. You enter your new job like it's the first day of school; you've picked out the right outfit to wear and made sure you arrived early...ready for the day!

We all begin with so much promise. The promise of this job being different from the last. The promise of learning and growing. The promise of promotion. The hope that this new job will be drama free. The promise of an energizing environment. The new job offers all of this...however, how do you hold on to the newness and the promise? How do you make sure that you are as engaged as day one when you have been there 30, 60, 90 days or even a year later? Here's how:

Go to work with Purpose: This means that you must understand exactly what you must do to contribute to the job and what you need in return. Yes, we are hired to complete specific tasks to help the department and company meet its overall goals; however, it is also important that that you get something out of the work you do as well. Ask yourself this daily; did I get to use my skills? Am I enjoying what I do daily? Am I challenged at work? Am I building relationships? Remember your WHY and keep moving on purpose with purpose so that you position yourself to excel and increase your earning power.

Create a 30 | 60| 90 Plan: Take time to meet with your manager, peers, and trainer/mentor to ensure that you are moving in the right direction as you are learning your new role and becoming acclimated with your new responsibilities. This plan will make sure that everyone remains focused on providing you the tools that you need to be successful in your role. This is you being in control of your learning curve and progress.

Give yourself grace: Taking on a new job is huge, and scary, and nerve-wrecking while at the same time being new and exciting. Take your time learning. Ask questions. Don't be hard on yourself when it may feel like you are struggling to learn the new role. It takes time to learn new people and new tasks. Go easy on yourself. It could take from 90 days to a year before you are fully comfortable in your new role.

Be strategic: Everything you do at work should be done with a purpose and plan. Connections that you make should be done with care. How you move through work and how you communicate with your peers will (at some point) play a role in determining your next move. What you do now lays the foundation for what is next for your as you grow in your career so be very mindful of how you navigate.

Track your progress: Keep up with what you are learning and doing. Capture what you are learning and what you are struggling with. Your new manager may want to have a 90 day performance review and by tracking your progress you will be prepared for the conversation. A good idea is to continue to track your work, accomplishments, and challenges so that you have a record of your performance for future conversations, reviews, and opportunities.

As exciting as it is to start a new position it can cause great stress as well. However, you can alleviate that stress by showing up to work with purpose and doing the things that are important to ensure your success. Following these tips will allow you to be in more control of navigating through the first 90 days to 6 months of your new position and beyond.