Changing Careers? How To Get Around The Three Major Mental Roadblocks To Success
|
A part of you can't wait to dive into your new career -- but you're also smart enough to know that you can expect a few bumps along the road to success. By far, the biggest roadblocks exist between your own two ears!
Let's take a look at three common mental roadblocks and learn how to overcome them.
ROADBLOCK No. 1: Wishful Thinking
How many times have you wished you'd hit the lottery? Now, how many times have you actually won the lottery? Far too many people spend far too much time wishing when they should be dreaming.
So, what's the difference between wishing and dreaming?
Wishing is passive. We wish for things over which we have little or no control. We wish we were taller or thinner. We wish the waiter would hurry up. We wish our boss wasn't so [you fill in the blank].
The other thing about wishes is that they are often tinged with regrets about past decisions -- both big and small. We wish we'd ordered the fish instead of the chicken. We wish we'd taken the other job. We wish we hadn't let the love of our life get away.
Dreaming is different. For one, a dream is active. Unlike wishes, we can actually do something about a dream. After all, you don't "wish up" a plan, you dream one up!
You may not get everything you dream of getting, but two things are certain:
1. It doesn't take a single extra ounce of energy to dream big than it does to settle.
2. You've got a lot more to gain by shooting high than by shooting low.
ROADBLOCK No. 2: What If Everyone Thinks You're Crazy?
You've probably already thought about the people you can count on to support your plan to create a more meaningful work/life. But have you also taken stock of those you should make a point NOT to turn to?
Unless you come either from money or from a long line of pioneers, you may not get the support you want from your family. With the best of intentions, you may find your dream of quitting your job to pursue your dream career met with advice to "play it safe," reminders that "you're lucky to have a good job," or a lecture on the seemingly insurmountable odds standing between you and success.
No matter how old you are, or how much you deny it, family approval does matter. Which, of course, makes it all the more painful when the people we love fail to give us the emotional green light we so desperately seek.
Other people's fear, skepticism, and negativity can be as contagious as the flu. And unless you've built up your immune system, these dream stompers can knock you for a loop -- especially when they are right in your own family.
You have two choices. You can either continue to turn to these naysayers in hopes that they'll respond differently -- or, you can choose the saner path of acceptance.
Don't look for support from people whose life experiences have not prepared them to give it fully. Instead, take advantage of the support that really is available.
ROADBLOCK No. 3: Fear of Change
The closer you come to leaving the security of your 9-to-5 job (no matter how much you want out) the greater your level of excitement and trepidation (see "Word to the Wise," below).
Anyone who has ever ventured out of their safe little world will tell you they had doubts. But when it comes to making a major life change, not only is a certain amount of fear perfectly normal, it's actually helpful. For example, it's our healthy fears that keep us from jumping off cliffs. And the great thing about fear is that there are ways to get around it.
So, try laughing in the face of fear. Am I kidding? No. Ridiculing your fears is actually a very effective technique for banishing them -- because the mind rejects that which it considers absurd.
The trick is to turn your fears into a ridiculous event in your mind. That way, you allow your natural human reaction to absurdity to take over and dismiss them.
Try it yourself. Take your biggest fear and take it to extremes. Really exaggerate it. Let's say you're paralyzed by the fear of failure. Try picturing your entire family, all of your friends, your neighbors, everyone you went to high school with, even your boss, standing outside your cardboard-box home holding up signs that read: "We Told You So!"
Pretty ridiculous, right? When you realize that your worst-case fantasy is just that -- a fantasy -- what felt overwhelming will now feel much more manageable.
Another way to manage the fear of venturing out on your own is to start small. If the thought of just up and quitting your day job frightens you, start building your client base on the side. Begin with low-risk steps and gradually work your way up to the harder stuff.
Remember, courage is not a matter of losing your fear so you can take action; courage comes from taking action. And that, in turn, helps you overcome your fear. When you can act despite your fears, you will be rewarded many times over.
"Off the beaten career path" consultant, Valerie Young, abandoned her corporate cubicle to become the Dreamer in Residence at http://www.ChangingCourse.com, offering free resources to help you discover your life mission and live it. Her career change tips have been cited The Wall Street Journal, USA Today Weekend, Redbook, Entrepreneur's Business Start Ups, and on-line at MSN, CareerBuilder, and iVillage.com. An expert on the Impostor Syndrome, she's presented her How to Feel as Bright and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are program to thousands of people.
|
|
|
Career Discovery - Pinpoint Your Ideal Career
Determine your ideal career--one that's in alignment withyour values, passions, and talents--and discover the workyou were born to doCareer discovery is the process by which a person identifiestheir ideal career path, thus saving themselves a lot oftime (and money) by not pursuing career choices that theywill ultimately find unfulfilling. To find your truecalling, you need to dig around and find the things that areimportant to you--now, and in the future.Career discovery is an important process, and one of thoseskills they don't really teach in high school or college.Career counselors in school mainly focus on accessing yourskills and trying to match them up with the appropriatecareer field. This can work fine for ...(related: Employment)
What Is My Calling?
"What is my calling?" Do any of us really have complete clarity about our life calling? Even those of us with the knowingness we must teach, write or sing may often ask, "What direction am I to go, now?" How do we answer these soulful questions?Richard Bolles, author of "What Color is My Parachute?" and the granddaddy of the employment industry says, when people are asked what they would like to do they often respond with "I don't know." Bolles maintains this is because people interpret the question to be "What a...(related: Employment)
Expose Lies On Resumes
Purpose: Learn about the new Polygraph for management hiresHis heart dropped when he saw his boss from his current company walk into the interview room with his prospective new employer. In a flash, every exaggeration on his resume was known. All of the excitement of a new and better-paying position instantly vanished.That meeting ended quickly with an exchange of courtesies and a kind rejection. The interviewer walked back to her office frustrated at the amount of time and effort she had invested into this candidate. She had been excited about his strong resume and test results and happier yet that ...(related: Employment)
Finding Success In Todays Job Market
This year we are experiencing the most dynamic and rapidly changing economy in all of history except for next year, and the year after, and the rest of our working lives. The days of being able to get a college education, then get a good job for life, which will give you financial security and retirement are gone forever.There will be mor...(related: Employment)
Career Change - Emotional Intelligence For Knowledge Workers?
Nowadays we can expect to survive the second half of our lives and as our work is knowledge-based - we knowledge workers are not finished after 30 years on the job - Are we merely bored?There are three ways to develop another career: The first way is to really start a career. Our original career decision (at school or college) may have been simply around 'getting a job to make some money' or just to 'get into the...(related: Employment)
Do You Need Help Writing A Winning Cover Letter?
Your cover letter is critical to your success. It sets the tone. It is read before your resume and includes vital...(related: Employment)
Reinventing Yourself For Multiple Careers
In many countries around the globe, people are born into their station in life and hence their professions. It is unnecessary ...(related: Employment)
How To Become A Real Estate Agent
If you're wondering how to become a real estate agent, the basic process is fairly simple, although it does vary a lot from state to state.. You will need to take classes, pass exams, earn a real estate license, find a broker to work for, t...(related: Employment)
Alert! An Over-50 Jobseeker Has Just Entered The Building
Interviewing Tips for the Older Job-seeking PopulationA red alert is probably melodramatic, but I'm sure jobseekers in this age bracket probably feel there is one. The bulk of the job-seeking population is currently facing job-search woes that the elderly population has been experiencing for years.In recent years, I've seen that over-50 jobseekers have wised up to the fact that age bias is still existent in America's workforc...(related: Employment)
Inside Sales Jobs: A Job Worth Seeking?
Are you interested in inside sales as a career? Inside sales can be a very rewarding job if you so choose. What is the difference between inside and outside sales positions? If you think the difference is staying out of the sun, read on and discover if or why an inside sales job could be for you.With inside sales you will need to not only sale a product or service, but be a representative for it as well. You will most likely be required to be on call to s...(related: Employment)
Planning Your Successful Career: 15 Ideas
"Doing a good job is one of the most important ways to move up the ladder", says Dr. Don Bagin, Professor of Communications at Glassbro State College.If you are one of the many people who do a good job consistently but are not noticed by top management, here are some suggestions to help you get on the fast track:...(related: Employment)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Employment