Your handy guide to career change
Posted on January 28, 2021 by Jon Wichett, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Small changes in our thinking can have large impacts.
When you are searching for a new path or looking for a positive change we often forget that our thinking is the first step to moving forward. Everything we do we have learnt to do at some point, and if you keep on following the same paths you are going to end up in the same places. What if you stopped looking for a path that will take you where you want to go, and begin forging your own – in the mountains when you go off the beaten path it is called ‘breaking trail’ and it is what we should be aiming to do when seeking a career change.
“The roots and tangled weeds of a single lily pad don’t hold it back – they lay the foundation for the first stepping stone, allowing it to grow in all directions & create its own path.”What has been holding you back can become your platform to move forward. If you are considering a new choice of career or breaking the norm but don’t know which direction to go or how to go about it, there is a certain mindset you can adopt to help bring clarity & confidence.
Identity
If someone asks “who are you?” there is a good chance you would include your job in the answer. We attach job titles to our sense of self, and I’ve heard countless times from clients that they are concerned they have wasted years of their life if they give up on their career and start fresh. When we associate our identity with our work, it is hard to move on without feeling like we are losing a piece of ourselves. The key is to be crystal clear on your identity & values at a deeper level, what in your character allowed for you to turn up at work day after day, year after year? A nurse is probably caring, dedicated, inspired to make a difference. A restaurant manager is a people person, enjoys a social aspect to life and is good at leading. Even someone who hated their dead end job yet stuck to it is persistent, dedicated, loyal and responsible.
Perspective
Ask yourself “How might I find opportunity in these difficulties?” rather than observing difficulty in the opportunities. The stumbling blocks holding you back are real and certainly not always easy to overcome, yet these same obstacles can turn into stepping stones. We choose what we focus on, and asking yourself the right questions can have a profound impact on how we view the situation.
Self-talk
Your inner dialogue (that voice inside your head) sounds a certain way, it has character. Think about the tone – are you critical, judgmental, friendly, understanding or motivating. The volume – are you screaming trying to be heard, or whispering to avoid imposing. The pace – is it frantic or sooth & calming.
If a friend was looking to make a career change, would it be helpful to say the same words in the same voice to them? If not, you are probably being a little hard on yourself, it’s fantastic you have such high standards but it can reveal some interesting details about why we are not putting ourselves out there and going after a better career choice.
Take your time with the three points above:
1) be clear on your identity and underlying motivators
2) choose to focus your perspective on opportunities that can be created
3) allow the voice in your head to be kind & encouraging
You are creating a strong base to seek out new ventures with confidence, and beginning to forge your own path to success. The next step is to get creative, allow the sky to be the limit, and envision a more desirable future including the steps that will help get you there – don’t hold back & enjoy all the opportunities that life has to offer.
Realistic, sustainable change is a process – it is achieved through small steps, with a certainty of knowing one foot can go in front of the other. You are already capable of being the person you want to become, which allows you to accomplish your goals & have the lifestyle you want, it is more a question of allowing yourself to be that person.
Values, purpose, belief, psychological safety zones, motivational strategies and so many more traits affect our decision making process – each one has its own method to serve us, to be resourceful even when it seems to be weighing us down. Yet when we realize we are holding ourselves back, with the right mindset we are perfectly capable of changing or updating our thoughts & habits to lead the way to a more desirable career, life, and ultimately well being.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the journey.
Jon Wichett
