The career change overwhelm
If you’re feeling trapped and unhappy in your current job then you might be wondering if you should change career. You may have spent Sunday afternoons on LinkedIn looking for inspiration or turned to the employment pages in newspapers seeking that elusive job that would get you feeling energised again. Sunday evenings may be filled with dread at the prospect of beginning again on Monday morning and getting through the working week. Factors that were once important to you in your 20s may be irrelevant to you now that you’re in your 40s. Or factors that were not important in your 30s may have now become essential in your 50s.
You’re probably feeling quite overwhelmed! Your gut instinct might be telling you to move on but you’ve no clue what you could or want to do next. You may have spent hours thinking about what you’re good at, analysing your CV, writing lists of pros and cons, number crunching and consulting friends. All of this causes a barrage of information overload and stops you in your tracks. Your inner critic will have stepped into action. It will have talked you into staying safe, not risking the potential financial instability, and told you that you don’t have the skills to move into a new field.
Positioning yourself for what’s next requires crossing a threshold into a place of uncertainty and risk-taking. There’s tension between knowing something isn’t right for you and actually being able to walk away from it. There’s the huge investment you’ve made in developing your career so far and the finances to consider. You may also feel reluctant to leave the comfort of your day to day routines.
But what if you keep coming back to the fact that doing what you do no longer feels right? Change can be painful, but nothing is more painful than feeling stuck where you no longer feel you belong.
Embracing Career Change
Embracing change might be exactly what you need to do but taking those first steps can feel like a real challenge. There are a few things that are important to remember:
- Open your mind to the possibilities, you may not have a sudden lightbulb moment but by making a start you’ll begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
- If you take an experimental approach, it will lead to greater confidence and courage.
- Small incremental steps eventually add up to big results.
A career change takes time. It’s like doing a puzzle without having the picture on the box. You will need to spend some time revisiting your values and what matters to you and begin to step out of your comfort zone. Each small incremental step will build your confidence, courage and strength. You’ll soon begin to see the ripple effect! Of course, it will be daunting – most big changes are – but that doesn’t mean it won’t lead to something amazing, given time and perseverance.
Accepting and dealing with change is different for everyone. Learning how to do what’s right for you, and only you, will make change seem less scary.
There’s always time to change your life for the better!
My coaching programme will provide you with the framework to approach your career decisions, support you in navigating uncertainty and give you the tools and strategies you need to achieve your goals.
If you need support to get unstuck and get into action then book a session below.
