January is often the month we ponder what changes we would like to make in our lives – with our career featuring prominently. To help you along the way, Leaders in Heels continues its new year series of posts on how you can make the change that you have been dreaming of.
Career Change and You
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We often imagine that our career path is set in stone and that we will move along this path in an organic way. So when we realise that the career we began many years ago is unfulfilling, what do we do? Our ladder is against the wrong wall, how do we get down, get support and turn our professional life around? It can be lonely and bewildering.
I worked recently with a client who had been in the same career for many years. She is a smart interesting woman who knew that her career was not going anywhere yet she was caught up in the “being plain stuck world”. It was scary and lonely for her to think about career change on her own. In the coaching sessions we worked on a plan identifying her passions and purpose. I also challenged her on the “beigness” of her life, helping to find the spunky sassy woman within.
My client became inspired to look for a career path that ignited her passion. Within 6 months she was in another job being paid 50% more, and importantly reclaiming the sassy woman within. She has recently returned from a trip to Istanbul and Italy. In a few years time will buy a property in Italy and run a small B&B alongside her passion for food and cooking. She is a new woman.
So how can you move down this path? You can, and here are some tips to start turning around your life. Remember the passion that you felt when you first started your career? You can bring that feeling back into your life. The way you start is by building a solid foundation towards a renovated career path. Read the following sections slowly as your Brain and Mindset are the most crucial parts in helping leverage and move your career ahead.
1. Passion
Start this exercise in a comfortable place, relax and let your mind be open. Ask yourself, what are the parts of your life that you are passionate about? What excites, inspires you, what would you do even if you were not paid? Let your mind run wild with these thoughts and images. This is a fun way to bring the picture of your personal and professional potential alive.
2.Vision
Now ask yourself the question “what will my new career path look like”. Put a vision board together with as many images as you can find. Once you have completed the vision board, spend at least 5 minutes observing your masterpiece. Remember that you have created this picture. You can make this vision come alive and move into reality.
Want to live a life that makes you excited? Our LH Planners use our Dream | Define | Do framework, based on proven mindset and productivity research, so we know it will help you achieve what you put your mind to!
3. Writing
Start by writing about the vision in front of you. What stands out? You may find that the board contains both images relating to your professional and personal life. So write a page about each section of this vision. What do these images mean to you, how do you feel about them, what thoughts come up, are they familiar images. If not, be inquisitive – do these images connect in some way to parts of your career path you have ignored?
4. Action Plan
This section is the core of your new direction. It is important to leverage this story into a step-by-step strategic plan to move forward. A bit like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Pull out the parts that immediately connect, do they provide answers to the career path you need to be on? Ask friends to contribute or get professional help in bringing your new career path alive.
This is not the time to stop; your vision board is evidence of the smart, sassy woman you are. She needs to come out in 2015 and not be left behind. Do you want to look back at end of 2015 and say why didn’t I? Move ahead now!
Featured Photo Credit: Pixabay
Sally Arnold is an award winning author, speaker and business coach who specialises in moving individuals and organisations out of stuckness. She is able to turn around challenges towards resolution and success through her innovative business Creating Encores.
Sally’s offer to readers of Leaders in Heels: Free 10 minute Power coaching session to assist in becoming clear about moving ahead in career reinvigoration. Contact Sally at sally@creatingencores.co.