10:18 AM
Adil Syed
Changing your career needs to be treated as any other big change that you undergo in your life. You will most probably go through the following motions: questioning the decisions you make along the way, feeling the loss of leaving something familiar behind you, facing the uncertainties of embarking on the unknown.
There will be fear and there will be excitement. There will be expectations and there will be disappointments. Most probably, the whole process will be a bit bumpy and might leave you exhausted.
However, it doesn't have to be this way; what you need to understand is that sometimes we can´t change the process but we can certainly change our reaction to it!
When things don´t go smoothly and the disappointment and fatigue set in, there are a few steps you can take:
1.) Make a decision that no matter how much progress you are making, you will enjoy the process and you will consider any setback as just another "building block" on the way towards your final goal of having your ideal career. Never underestimate the power of a decision. Thinking about something, considering it, visualizing it, discussing it, these are all fine activities. Making a decision is much more powerful, though. It implies that there is no looking back, only forward. It signals to you that you are in charge and you will move ahead on your own terms. Taking the decision means that whatever happens, you will have your ideal career and you will enjoy the process, you are moving ahead of those who wallow in their sorrows and get stuck half-way through the process without knowing it. You might take a few wrong turns but at least you are moving and that puts you way ahead of the crowd.
2.) Remain open-minded about how you will get the career of your dreams. Quite often, we make the mistake of having a very precise idea about how things will develop. Then if something doesn't go according to plan we are left disheartened and disappointed. Imagine though, if there were tons of different ways to land your ideal career, if you only allowed them to unfold naturally! Please don´t misunderstand me. Taking action every single day and moving in the direction of your new career is extremely important. Which actions to take, however, can be left to your imagination and the immediate feelings of what is best for you. Sometimes you can be struck by an idea that seems completely farfetched and yet when you follow up on it, it might lead to an interesting contact, valuable information or a new avenue to pursue. Don't underestimate the power of your intuition. If a new and crazy idea strikes, try it out, you never know the surprising outcome.
3.) Allow yourself enough time. Quite often, people who are determined and work towards change in their career steadily, make the easiest transitions. The reason being that once they reach the point of readiness to take the plunge, they have fully prepared and implemented plan B. They know exactly what they are doing, they have a financial plan, potentially a business plan (if transitioning to their own business), they have clarity and they have an action plan. To put all these elements in place can take time. Having a time frame is important but if you allow yourself to be patient, potential disappointments will not seem as fatal as if your deadline was set in stone for you.
Most importantly, remember why you decided to change your career in the first place. I am guessing it was because you wanted to spend your time doing something that you truly loved! Keep your eyes on the prize and all your disappointments will become but little stories to share at dinner parties and lovely reminders of how much you have overcome and how far you have travelled.
Natalie Ekberg is an international Career Transition Coach and author. She leads business professionals through major life transitions including mid-life career decisions. As a result they drop struggle and stress leading to the clarity and courage needed to live their vision.
http://www.lblifecoaching.com/coaching-packages.php
There will be fear and there will be excitement. There will be expectations and there will be disappointments. Most probably, the whole process will be a bit bumpy and might leave you exhausted.
However, it doesn't have to be this way; what you need to understand is that sometimes we can´t change the process but we can certainly change our reaction to it!
When things don´t go smoothly and the disappointment and fatigue set in, there are a few steps you can take:
1.) Make a decision that no matter how much progress you are making, you will enjoy the process and you will consider any setback as just another "building block" on the way towards your final goal of having your ideal career. Never underestimate the power of a decision. Thinking about something, considering it, visualizing it, discussing it, these are all fine activities. Making a decision is much more powerful, though. It implies that there is no looking back, only forward. It signals to you that you are in charge and you will move ahead on your own terms. Taking the decision means that whatever happens, you will have your ideal career and you will enjoy the process, you are moving ahead of those who wallow in their sorrows and get stuck half-way through the process without knowing it. You might take a few wrong turns but at least you are moving and that puts you way ahead of the crowd.
2.) Remain open-minded about how you will get the career of your dreams. Quite often, we make the mistake of having a very precise idea about how things will develop. Then if something doesn't go according to plan we are left disheartened and disappointed. Imagine though, if there were tons of different ways to land your ideal career, if you only allowed them to unfold naturally! Please don´t misunderstand me. Taking action every single day and moving in the direction of your new career is extremely important. Which actions to take, however, can be left to your imagination and the immediate feelings of what is best for you. Sometimes you can be struck by an idea that seems completely farfetched and yet when you follow up on it, it might lead to an interesting contact, valuable information or a new avenue to pursue. Don't underestimate the power of your intuition. If a new and crazy idea strikes, try it out, you never know the surprising outcome.
3.) Allow yourself enough time. Quite often, people who are determined and work towards change in their career steadily, make the easiest transitions. The reason being that once they reach the point of readiness to take the plunge, they have fully prepared and implemented plan B. They know exactly what they are doing, they have a financial plan, potentially a business plan (if transitioning to their own business), they have clarity and they have an action plan. To put all these elements in place can take time. Having a time frame is important but if you allow yourself to be patient, potential disappointments will not seem as fatal as if your deadline was set in stone for you.
Most importantly, remember why you decided to change your career in the first place. I am guessing it was because you wanted to spend your time doing something that you truly loved! Keep your eyes on the prize and all your disappointments will become but little stories to share at dinner parties and lovely reminders of how much you have overcome and how far you have travelled.
Natalie Ekberg is an international Career Transition Coach and author. She leads business professionals through major life transitions including mid-life career decisions. As a result they drop struggle and stress leading to the clarity and courage needed to live their vision.
http://www.lblifecoaching.com/coaching-packages.php
