Making a self-defining choice does not happen for many of us. Is it luck? Lack of an insight into what one is aiming for and thrashing about in the hope that some positive development will emerge on the career front leads to frustration and fatigue. Psychologists call this new wave of self-insight as 'metacognition '.It simply means getting in touch with one-self. This is what differentiates those who scampers or wastes their energies in erroneous pursuits.

Motivating oneself to take the first step at anything has to change into taking charge of where things are going later on in one's working life. The first step requires courage, confidence and faith. Later on, one needs to be objective and analytical. A psychologist calls postponing of making a sensible career choice in one's youth as "psychological moratorium". The pity is that once we get into the habit of chasing undefined dreams, we keep postponing intelligent thinking, in the hope of finding a hidden treasure. The result is a burn-out. It's never too late to plan.

Metacognition is a hypothetical term that stands for our awareness regarding our plans, actions strategies and progress regarding our plans, actions strategies and progress regarding the same. It means that any new event is interpreted in the light of our existing scheme of things .The hard fact is that some people are spontaneous at it. It helps them focus early in life. Social-conditioning confuses most of us, which results in our planning for what others want.

In one's teens, it is understandable to put a moratorium on one's role definition but prolonging it can have harmful consequences in that one tends to start believing that one is unworthy of the dreams and was never capable of fulfilling them any way. Once decision is made and the plunge taken, it is worthwhile to take a second look from time it time at the direction one is headed for in one's life. Sometimes it happens that people suddenly realize that they have been too busy running after 'family goals', to the extent that they have been losing touch with what they had set out for, in the first place. Mixing up of priorities can take a toll on metacognition, resulting in lack of performance as inertia and loss of control is set in.

Emotional IQ and social intelligence are the terms that define the characteristics that ensure success at workplace. Career Intelligence requires strategic use of such traits. It requires appropriate use of empathy and interpersonal relations, not indiscriminate use. Another important benefit of career intelligence is that our peers and subordinates know that there is a basis for our behaviour.One can portray a sense of control that helps mask any weakness or fear that he may carry. It helps in maintaining an image as far as an individual is concerned and also projecting his strengths to others in terms of being his own manager.

Finally, career intelligence is nothing to do about academic success. Its all about staying in touch with one's goals and strategically managing our actions to realize them all through the life.

* Contributed by -
Debasreeta Pattnaik,
PGP - II,
XIM Bhubaneswar.