Why Focusing on Your Career Could be Making Your Career Change a Lot Harder for You
Author: Nicky J. Davies |
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Categories: Career Reset
"I don't know what I want to do, but I do know this isn't it!" he said in frustration.
Discovering the job you once enjoyed isn't what you want any more for a whole host of reasons, often leads to days of Google searches, scrolling through a multitude of different job roles desperate for an idea on what to do next.
Feeling stuck and wanting to make a career change, you may find focusing on your career is not the best place to start.
Why?
Well the term 'career' comes with a whole set of ideas and limitations.
Think about 'career' and see what comes to mind.
Maybe set times and days, a particular structure on what you do and how you relate to others, a place usually with lots of other people busy with tasks, a pathway or ladder, politics and debates about how to get things done, often a competitive environment and it can be a solitary experience.
You may find you associate career with an income, health benefits, social acceptance and status. All of these are about survival!
These many things we associate with the term 'career' can constrain our thinking when looking to make a career change.
It certainly hampers seeing other ways to make a living that reflect your wider, ever-evolving needs and wants.
So, where do you start?
I suggest you start with a bigger question - how would you like to live the next exciting chapter of your life?
This question invites you to expand your thinking to discover what is truly important for you and those you love. Explore without constraints in your thinking.
One of my clients not liking where his life was heading, basically head-long towards a heart attack, really embraced this question and spent time with his wife defining how they would both like to live the next exciting chapter of their lives.
The outcome? They downsized from the 5 bedroomed home they no longer needed, setup their own business and now travel for three months of the year.
This one simple question led them to discover how important time and travel was to them.
What's truly important to you?
Here's another question to get you thinking - put a number on what you want to earn each month and year. What are the different ways in which you could create that number?
If you have money invested, how do you get your money working harder for you and generating more income while still managing the risk?
And another - what about the activities you love to do, that you always find time for?
Another client of mine has long held a dream of being a professional international speaker. Reaching the age of 60 he decided it was time to seriously do something about it. Talking to groups of people fires him up - he loves it and his energy and enthusiasm when speaking is infectious.
He also has a particular niche we are working on that he had avoided because it's a natural skill set for him. Something he takes for granted that other people really struggle with.
What are you taking for granted in terms of your many talents and gifts?
How have others earned an income from these activities?
What about this question - where would you love to live? It may be more than one place - we live in a number of different countries during a year, as well as on our sailboat in Greece / Montenegro during the summer months.
If you find this nomadic way of living attractive, what are the sorts of income-earning activities that do not require you to be in one fixed place?
All of the above questions will take your thinking to a much more expansive place.
Yes, there is a time and place for bringing these thoughts into a cohesive direction, but for now, dream a little. Explore a lot. Enjoy thinking without constraints.
And if you would like a helping hand, book a FREE 60 minute call with me by clicking on this link: