It’s a curious phenomenon, when we find ourselves finding faults in others, especially faults that we’d like to “fix”, we are usually looking at faults in ourselves that need fixing. It’s true, people reflect back to us what we need to see in ourselves. Wow! What a concept!
What is even more curious is that if we recognized it and started working on our self, we would be too busy to interfere unduly in the lives of others. Then another curious thing happens. When we work on us and begin to exhibit a true change, the people around us begin to change. They can’t help it. Things that used to push our buttons, don’t push them anymore. Unconsciously, the people around us are looking for a button that is no longer there and so they are forced to make changes to meet the new situation.
What a concept, we change others by changing ourselves!
There will always be people who will try to control us, make us cry, angry, feel inferior or any number of negative emotions if we let them. They unconsciously feel that makes them superior. It doesn’t really. It just makes them more afraid. When we refuse to let ourselves succumb to these controls, the person trying to control us has to change. In my experience the change is generally an improvement, at least from my point of view. Oh, the change doesn’t happen overnight and it’s not too consistent in the beginning, but by changing yourself you are forcing the other person to learn new tricks. Interesting, change others by changing yourself; teach others, by changing yourself.
There are some who will refuse to change, to learn. They are too afraid to change their old status quo. They will probably drop out of your life. You have learned your lesson and are now moving on. They are still learning their lesson and so are stuck. Wish them well, then let them go. They have their path, you have yours.
These episodes are painful enough when it is with people who are passing through your life, but it’s much more difficult when it is someone in your life. Then we must take a harder but more compassionate look at the lessons that both they and we are learning. The lesson may be much deeper than it first appears. It may have many layers, many levels of learning to absorb. In my experience, patience is the key here, not only for the other, but for myself. In my experience, the most profound lessons are learned from the people who are in my life.
We are taught patience growing up, but it’s mostly for the other guy. We seldom practice patience with ourselves. Nor do we think often on forgiving ourselves for our mistakes and shortcomings. But it’s true, in order to truly love others, understand others and forgive others, we must love, understand and forgive ourselves; one of those Cath-22s in life.
So the next time someone really ticks you off and won’t do what you want them to do, stand back. Take a breath. Relax. Then thank them for the lesson that they were trying to teach you. Then smile as you walk away while they are frowning in confusion.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Alignment
The person who is in alignment with Purpose, who is living authentically, experiences an inner sense of knowing that he is traveling along the path that he planned. There is a certain peace in that knowing and a certain acceptance of the obstacles that are certain to come.
Traveling with purpose and authenticity does not mean that life is all “good” and that there are no challenges. There may actually be more challenges. After all this is the Earth school and we came here to learn. Sometimes the lessons may be relatively easy while with others we may be tempted to stray from the plan and take the easier road.
Most of our challenges have to do with overcoming fear. This is as true for both the person living in alignment as well as the person not living in alignment. The difference is how each of the two addresses that fear. The person living in alignment will acknowledge that fear and recognize it for what it is but then renew his faith and trust that all will turn out as it should. This does not mean that he sits passively by. He will still do his fair share of work to see that all turns out as it should.
It is the person not in alignment that experiences an even greater challenge. In his fear he may choose control. Instead of letting events unfold he may choose to control what events unfold and how they unfold. In this he may be creating more challenges for himself and withholding help from others. This does not really help him to control his fears but actually heightens them. This fear may manifest in undo concern for others and interference in their lessons. We seek to control the lives of people around us, thinking that we are helping them. But if we were to look inside we would find that in this helping we do not experience peace, nor do we have a true sense that we are right.
We are fooling ourselves. When we try to control the lives of those we know, we feel that we are exercising more control over our own. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are actually exercising less control. Instead of operating out of trust, we are operating out of fear. But we are not operating out of fear for others, we are operating out of fear for ourselves.
We must let people choose their own paths so that they may learn their own lessons. Oh, it’s all right to give them information and advice and a helping hand, but when you sensor their choices you are interfering with their life path and that creates a burden for you. Allowing people to live their lives as they choose does not mean a policy of non-interference in the sharing of knowledge, or extending a helping hand, it does mean not forcing them along a path that you consider to be the right path.
As you let others choose for themselves, you will experience a greater peace within. You can enjoy watching both their lives and your life unfold in a harmonious way. You can revel in your differences and laugh when you stumble. You can lend a hand to help them up and brush them off as you continue down your individual paths. This is operating from trust. This is operating in alignment with your purpose.
Traveling with purpose and authenticity does not mean that life is all “good” and that there are no challenges. There may actually be more challenges. After all this is the Earth school and we came here to learn. Sometimes the lessons may be relatively easy while with others we may be tempted to stray from the plan and take the easier road.
Most of our challenges have to do with overcoming fear. This is as true for both the person living in alignment as well as the person not living in alignment. The difference is how each of the two addresses that fear. The person living in alignment will acknowledge that fear and recognize it for what it is but then renew his faith and trust that all will turn out as it should. This does not mean that he sits passively by. He will still do his fair share of work to see that all turns out as it should.
It is the person not in alignment that experiences an even greater challenge. In his fear he may choose control. Instead of letting events unfold he may choose to control what events unfold and how they unfold. In this he may be creating more challenges for himself and withholding help from others. This does not really help him to control his fears but actually heightens them. This fear may manifest in undo concern for others and interference in their lessons. We seek to control the lives of people around us, thinking that we are helping them. But if we were to look inside we would find that in this helping we do not experience peace, nor do we have a true sense that we are right.
We are fooling ourselves. When we try to control the lives of those we know, we feel that we are exercising more control over our own. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are actually exercising less control. Instead of operating out of trust, we are operating out of fear. But we are not operating out of fear for others, we are operating out of fear for ourselves.
We must let people choose their own paths so that they may learn their own lessons. Oh, it’s all right to give them information and advice and a helping hand, but when you sensor their choices you are interfering with their life path and that creates a burden for you. Allowing people to live their lives as they choose does not mean a policy of non-interference in the sharing of knowledge, or extending a helping hand, it does mean not forcing them along a path that you consider to be the right path.
As you let others choose for themselves, you will experience a greater peace within. You can enjoy watching both their lives and your life unfold in a harmonious way. You can revel in your differences and laugh when you stumble. You can lend a hand to help them up and brush them off as you continue down your individual paths. This is operating from trust. This is operating in alignment with your purpose.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Follow That Dream?
Have you always followed your dreams? Did you dare to take the path less traveled?
Most of us have taken the safe path and stayed with the crowd. That is not a bad thing. There is safety in numbers. Well,… sort of.
The world has changed and for some that safe path no longer exists. That safely traveled path has come to an abrupt end. What do they do? For some it might be a matter of moving to the next or nearby safe path and finding a place there; again moving with the crowd.
For others there is no safe path. For some there may be no path at all. What do they do? Where do they turn?
For many years people turned to Corporate America to supply the safe jobs; jobs that would be there day after day, year after year until it was time to retire and then they would supply good safe retirement plans and pensions. Those jobs are not so safe anymore. The Corporations are too tied to their quarterly earnings; to keeping their stockholders happy. The stockholders are strongly committed to continuous and continuing profits and rising profit margins. Business thinking today is more short term than long term. Oh yes, I know, there are some exceptions to that. But they are becoming fewer and fewer.
Safety, for what it’s worth, may be in the smaller, privately held or employee held companies or boutique shops. But even these shops will not fit all people. So…what will they do?
Are you one of those people; the ones who don’t seem to fit in. Maybe when you were let go you experienced a moment of extreme euphoria, as if you had been released from prison. Oh, yes, your next thought may have been: “What comes next?” But for one bright shiny moment you felt free, gloriously, giddily free. How could that be? Maybe if you are still unemployed you have found that answer. Could it be that you were not meant to travel with the crowd? Could it be you really don’t fit in with the pack?
What were those dreams you had? What were those aspirations? Are they achievable today? Would they be achievable with some small adjustments?
Perhaps the work you were doing was what you enjoyed. Maybe the work gave you purpose and a sense of achievement. If that is the case and working in Corporate America is no longer viable and the smaller private enterprises are also out, you might consider starting your own business. Have you looked into what it would take? How it would be financed. Do you have what it takes to work on your own or head up a new enterprise? Could you do it? Would you do it?
Maybe all the doors to what you were doing are closed. Frankly the idea of doing what you did all your professional life is giving you nightmares. Can you turn to your earlier dreams for an answer? Can you dare to start over? Can you dare to forge your own path? Are you free and do you have the courage and ability to be the authentic you? Do you have the courage to succeed on your own terms? You now have the freedom to choose, perhaps for the first time in your life. It’s scary. No doubt. There is the chance that things will not work out. But positive attitude and a belief that the Universe will provide as long as you do your part may get you through.
It’s a thought. Can you do it? Will you do it?
Most of us have taken the safe path and stayed with the crowd. That is not a bad thing. There is safety in numbers. Well,… sort of.
The world has changed and for some that safe path no longer exists. That safely traveled path has come to an abrupt end. What do they do? For some it might be a matter of moving to the next or nearby safe path and finding a place there; again moving with the crowd.
For others there is no safe path. For some there may be no path at all. What do they do? Where do they turn?
For many years people turned to Corporate America to supply the safe jobs; jobs that would be there day after day, year after year until it was time to retire and then they would supply good safe retirement plans and pensions. Those jobs are not so safe anymore. The Corporations are too tied to their quarterly earnings; to keeping their stockholders happy. The stockholders are strongly committed to continuous and continuing profits and rising profit margins. Business thinking today is more short term than long term. Oh yes, I know, there are some exceptions to that. But they are becoming fewer and fewer.
Safety, for what it’s worth, may be in the smaller, privately held or employee held companies or boutique shops. But even these shops will not fit all people. So…what will they do?
Are you one of those people; the ones who don’t seem to fit in. Maybe when you were let go you experienced a moment of extreme euphoria, as if you had been released from prison. Oh, yes, your next thought may have been: “What comes next?” But for one bright shiny moment you felt free, gloriously, giddily free. How could that be? Maybe if you are still unemployed you have found that answer. Could it be that you were not meant to travel with the crowd? Could it be you really don’t fit in with the pack?
What were those dreams you had? What were those aspirations? Are they achievable today? Would they be achievable with some small adjustments?
Perhaps the work you were doing was what you enjoyed. Maybe the work gave you purpose and a sense of achievement. If that is the case and working in Corporate America is no longer viable and the smaller private enterprises are also out, you might consider starting your own business. Have you looked into what it would take? How it would be financed. Do you have what it takes to work on your own or head up a new enterprise? Could you do it? Would you do it?
Maybe all the doors to what you were doing are closed. Frankly the idea of doing what you did all your professional life is giving you nightmares. Can you turn to your earlier dreams for an answer? Can you dare to start over? Can you dare to forge your own path? Are you free and do you have the courage and ability to be the authentic you? Do you have the courage to succeed on your own terms? You now have the freedom to choose, perhaps for the first time in your life. It’s scary. No doubt. There is the chance that things will not work out. But positive attitude and a belief that the Universe will provide as long as you do your part may get you through.
It’s a thought. Can you do it? Will you do it?
Friday, May 14, 2010
Success
What constitutes success? Is it society’s standards or an individual’s own assessment of his life? Can one be considered successful if he experiences success in one area of his life, but finds the rest of his life a shambles?
Can success be measured externally or is it an internal measurement? Who has lived the more successful life?
Is it the man who has pulled himself out of poverty by the scratching of his own fingers, or just by the dint of hard work and smart decisions, but who has not taken the time to make friends, other than those who could advance his fortune? Or is it the man who has taken time along the way to appreciate the people around him and to build deep relationships with those who have crossed his path or at least dealt with them fairly and honestly while they were in his life?
Is it more successful to reach the end of one’s life surrounded by people , hundreds, even thousands of people, none of whom you know well or for that matter really know anything about you? Or is it better to reach the end of your life surrounded by just a few friends, all of whom know you well, who know something of your dreams and aspirations and who have laughed and cried with you?
Is the man who has achieved all of his life, who at the end is still looking around for more worlds to conquer who is the more successful? Or is the man who looks back on his life and realizes he had a wonderful family and friends and that his life was rich with laughter and tears and is content to say, “I had a good life”?
Who is more successful, the man who was able to control events in his life so that he was never surprised and was always prepared for whatever might happen? Or is it the man who rolled with the punches? Who felt that life was an adventure to be experienced as it came, good or ill?
Who is the more successful, the man who has no humor about himself but laughs at the foibles of others, or the man that realizes life is fun and funny and laughs most often at himself and never at, but with others?
What is success at the end of life? Is it the man who rails against his fate which was always to pass from this earth, or is it the man who can sigh with contentment and say “I did good”?
As you stand in line at the grocery store, who is more successful, the man whose face is plastered over all the magazines and newspapers or the man standing next to you?
Can success be measured externally or is it an internal measurement? Who has lived the more successful life?
Is it the man who has pulled himself out of poverty by the scratching of his own fingers, or just by the dint of hard work and smart decisions, but who has not taken the time to make friends, other than those who could advance his fortune? Or is it the man who has taken time along the way to appreciate the people around him and to build deep relationships with those who have crossed his path or at least dealt with them fairly and honestly while they were in his life?
Is it more successful to reach the end of one’s life surrounded by people , hundreds, even thousands of people, none of whom you know well or for that matter really know anything about you? Or is it better to reach the end of your life surrounded by just a few friends, all of whom know you well, who know something of your dreams and aspirations and who have laughed and cried with you?
Is the man who has achieved all of his life, who at the end is still looking around for more worlds to conquer who is the more successful? Or is the man who looks back on his life and realizes he had a wonderful family and friends and that his life was rich with laughter and tears and is content to say, “I had a good life”?
Who is more successful, the man who was able to control events in his life so that he was never surprised and was always prepared for whatever might happen? Or is it the man who rolled with the punches? Who felt that life was an adventure to be experienced as it came, good or ill?
Who is the more successful, the man who has no humor about himself but laughs at the foibles of others, or the man that realizes life is fun and funny and laughs most often at himself and never at, but with others?
What is success at the end of life? Is it the man who rails against his fate which was always to pass from this earth, or is it the man who can sigh with contentment and say “I did good”?
As you stand in line at the grocery store, who is more successful, the man whose face is plastered over all the magazines and newspapers or the man standing next to you?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Ingenuity and Creativity
I was just reading an article provided by the Wall Street Journal to Yahoo online. It said that fully 20% of the men between the ages of 25 and 54 are not working. It doesn’t address the employment of those over 54 which we might expect to be worse. The article goes on to quote the President’s economic advisor as saying that when the economy has fully recovered about five years from now the improvement will be that one 1 in 6 men will be out of work. Doesn’t feel like it will be that much of an improvement does it?
It does say that many of the jobs that have gone away, will never return. Many of them production line work or construction, but office workers are being affected too.
We can’t expect the government to help us out. They don’t really know how to cope with this state of affairs either. The only solutions they seem to come up with are only digging the hole deeper. The bailouts we are funding may be creating a few jobs, but not in the number we need. Government created jobs for the unemployed doesn’t really make sense either. That’s the government creating jobs that the taxpayer is funding. So those new jobs the government creates are being paid for by the people who are being employed in those jobs, with considerable additional support by the already overburdened taxpayer. We have to stop the madness.
We have gotten use to being taken care of. We have allowed our minds and imaginations to go soft , thinking that we will be taken care of in times of trouble. In times of trouble we are the ones we need to turn to. Government was designed to govern. Too make laws that protect us and keep the country from sinking into anarchy. The government was not meant to be our caretaker, nor should we expect or want it to me.
We need to do what we have been best at, applying our ingenuity and creativity to solving the problem. We the people, not the U.S. government need to do this. We are the most affected. The government pays lip service to the problem but then goes blithely on and exacerbates it by continuing to spend money we don’t have.
Nor is Corporate America the answer. Public companies do not have very much loyalty to their employees, if any. Their loyalties are to their stockholders. The stockholders attention is on short-term result, the bottom line and ROI. So when those quarterly and annual reports come out and ROI is not good, management looks around to see where it can save money. Let’s see, are the top executives going to vote to slash their exorbitant salaries and bonuses? Not likely. Are they going to decrease the size of upper management, possibly, though not likely. Why would they vote themselves out of a job? Guess where they are going to turn to next? Hello! The middle and lower echelons of the work force have come into their sights. Surprise! Oh, don’t worry. The work is not going away. There are just going to be fewer people doing it. A few of those jobs may come back when the bottom line picks up. Maybe, but probably not.
So it now falls upon the ones who have been most affected to ferret out the solution to this problem. The world has changed. It has moved on. We can no longer expect the old ways to work. We cannot expect to be taken care of.
Will we rise to this challenge? There is no choice. We have to. When we started this country we made do with what we had and in doing so forged a better more prosperous life. We invented and developed ways that made our lives easier and more efficient. We developed industries that put people to work, work in which they could take pride. We need to do it again.
Rhetoric aside, if we are to survive and thrive we must do it again.
It does say that many of the jobs that have gone away, will never return. Many of them production line work or construction, but office workers are being affected too.
We can’t expect the government to help us out. They don’t really know how to cope with this state of affairs either. The only solutions they seem to come up with are only digging the hole deeper. The bailouts we are funding may be creating a few jobs, but not in the number we need. Government created jobs for the unemployed doesn’t really make sense either. That’s the government creating jobs that the taxpayer is funding. So those new jobs the government creates are being paid for by the people who are being employed in those jobs, with considerable additional support by the already overburdened taxpayer. We have to stop the madness.
We have gotten use to being taken care of. We have allowed our minds and imaginations to go soft , thinking that we will be taken care of in times of trouble. In times of trouble we are the ones we need to turn to. Government was designed to govern. Too make laws that protect us and keep the country from sinking into anarchy. The government was not meant to be our caretaker, nor should we expect or want it to me.
We need to do what we have been best at, applying our ingenuity and creativity to solving the problem. We the people, not the U.S. government need to do this. We are the most affected. The government pays lip service to the problem but then goes blithely on and exacerbates it by continuing to spend money we don’t have.
Nor is Corporate America the answer. Public companies do not have very much loyalty to their employees, if any. Their loyalties are to their stockholders. The stockholders attention is on short-term result, the bottom line and ROI. So when those quarterly and annual reports come out and ROI is not good, management looks around to see where it can save money. Let’s see, are the top executives going to vote to slash their exorbitant salaries and bonuses? Not likely. Are they going to decrease the size of upper management, possibly, though not likely. Why would they vote themselves out of a job? Guess where they are going to turn to next? Hello! The middle and lower echelons of the work force have come into their sights. Surprise! Oh, don’t worry. The work is not going away. There are just going to be fewer people doing it. A few of those jobs may come back when the bottom line picks up. Maybe, but probably not.
So it now falls upon the ones who have been most affected to ferret out the solution to this problem. The world has changed. It has moved on. We can no longer expect the old ways to work. We cannot expect to be taken care of.
Will we rise to this challenge? There is no choice. We have to. When we started this country we made do with what we had and in doing so forged a better more prosperous life. We invented and developed ways that made our lives easier and more efficient. We developed industries that put people to work, work in which they could take pride. We need to do it again.
Rhetoric aside, if we are to survive and thrive we must do it again.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Change – Begets Change
Once you have made the career change, if you have chosen wisely, you may find that other areas of your life begin to change..
A friend once told me that some people are in your life for a season and some people are in your life for a reason. As you change you may find that certain people, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, disappear from your life. You may no longer have anything in common with them or they with you. Try to retain those relationships on some new level if you can, if for no other reason than that you like them or maybe they could be a help in you new career, if not today, maybe tomorrow. But if it is time to let those relationships go, then honor them and let them go.
Certain interests may go by the wayside to be replaced by other interests. The possibilities here are endless. If they no longer fit into your life, consider letting them slide away. New interests will undoubtedly come along and replace them.
You are evolving, changing who you were into a new person, with new needs and new dreams and new goals. In five years you may look back and not recognize the person you used to be.
As you evolve, stretch. Try something that you have never tried before. The more that you evolve and allow yourself to evolve, the easier it will be to meet the changes that will be coming your way. But evaluate each change you make. Is it for the better? If not, let it go.
You are on a life-long adventure to discover the real you. Your purpose will change as you evolve. It may stay basically the same, but will become clearer, sharper, better defined. And when you achieve your goal you will find that there is a new one waiting beyond it. That new goal will require more changes. It is never ending. And that is good. That is how we learn, how we progress, how we develop. It makes us more interested and interesting.
The old fears may melt away. The excitement of growth of looking beyond our immediate needs, wants and pleasures will absorb more of our attention.
Resistance to change is futile. It will come whether or not we care to recognize the need to adapt. So recognize that you need to change. Control, to the extent that you can, how those changes occur in and affect your life. You will find your life more exciting and interesting and yes, adventurous. You may even learn to like the changes.
A friend once told me that some people are in your life for a season and some people are in your life for a reason. As you change you may find that certain people, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, disappear from your life. You may no longer have anything in common with them or they with you. Try to retain those relationships on some new level if you can, if for no other reason than that you like them or maybe they could be a help in you new career, if not today, maybe tomorrow. But if it is time to let those relationships go, then honor them and let them go.
Certain interests may go by the wayside to be replaced by other interests. The possibilities here are endless. If they no longer fit into your life, consider letting them slide away. New interests will undoubtedly come along and replace them.
You are evolving, changing who you were into a new person, with new needs and new dreams and new goals. In five years you may look back and not recognize the person you used to be.
As you evolve, stretch. Try something that you have never tried before. The more that you evolve and allow yourself to evolve, the easier it will be to meet the changes that will be coming your way. But evaluate each change you make. Is it for the better? If not, let it go.
You are on a life-long adventure to discover the real you. Your purpose will change as you evolve. It may stay basically the same, but will become clearer, sharper, better defined. And when you achieve your goal you will find that there is a new one waiting beyond it. That new goal will require more changes. It is never ending. And that is good. That is how we learn, how we progress, how we develop. It makes us more interested and interesting.
The old fears may melt away. The excitement of growth of looking beyond our immediate needs, wants and pleasures will absorb more of our attention.
Resistance to change is futile. It will come whether or not we care to recognize the need to adapt. So recognize that you need to change. Control, to the extent that you can, how those changes occur in and affect your life. You will find your life more exciting and interesting and yes, adventurous. You may even learn to like the changes.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Change – Making the Shift
Some have had a relatively easy shift. They liked their careers and those careers are still viable. Their shift may be relatively easy, a matter of finding a similar job within their current geographical area.
For some, the shift may be a little more emotional and disrupting. They can find a job, but will have to relocate to take it. That means leaving friends, relatives, schools, places of worship, doctors, dentists and all the people with whom you do business. It could be exciting! It could be a little scary; new place and no one you know. Are you prepared to make those changes? Does this change answer your purpose, your needs, and in this case, if you have family, how does it fit their needs and purpose? Good questions. They need to be addressed, but if all is aligned, then pursue it. Remember you are courageous! You have heart! You are a hero!
Everyone else is making even bigger shifts. How exciting! How adventurous! How courageous! Maybe your first decision is whether or not to stay in Corporate America or do you go out on your own. If you go out on your own, what would you do and how would you do it? If you stay in Corporate America, you still have decisions to make about what you will do and where and how you want to do it. Hmmm….. Where to start.
Decide what you want to do.
Decide what skills you have that will fit your new career. Decide what new skills you need to get to move into your new career. Decide what information you need to make the career change. Daunting? Taken as a whole, yes. So break it down into small pieces. List all the pieces; discrete actions that need to be taken. Decide what you can do now, today. Do it. Decide what will take longer. Create a timeline for starting and completing each activity. Post this plan where you will see it every day. Mark off actions that are completed as they are completed. Add new actions that you may have missed as they come up.
Here is the important part. Identify the major milestones along the way. When you achieve them celebrate! Be judicious. Not everything is a milestone. On the other hand, recognize that there will be important milestones on the way to your goal.
You are now creating your own changes. Because you are changing there will be changes around you. Some old things may fall away. New things will take their place. You are in new territory. The possibilities are endless!
While you are doing all the work for your career transition, network. Keep in touch, especially with people who can help you achieve your goal. Educate yourself. Read. Listen. Analyze. It’s all part of The Shift.
For some, the shift may be a little more emotional and disrupting. They can find a job, but will have to relocate to take it. That means leaving friends, relatives, schools, places of worship, doctors, dentists and all the people with whom you do business. It could be exciting! It could be a little scary; new place and no one you know. Are you prepared to make those changes? Does this change answer your purpose, your needs, and in this case, if you have family, how does it fit their needs and purpose? Good questions. They need to be addressed, but if all is aligned, then pursue it. Remember you are courageous! You have heart! You are a hero!
Everyone else is making even bigger shifts. How exciting! How adventurous! How courageous! Maybe your first decision is whether or not to stay in Corporate America or do you go out on your own. If you go out on your own, what would you do and how would you do it? If you stay in Corporate America, you still have decisions to make about what you will do and where and how you want to do it. Hmmm….. Where to start.
Decide what you want to do.
Decide what skills you have that will fit your new career. Decide what new skills you need to get to move into your new career. Decide what information you need to make the career change. Daunting? Taken as a whole, yes. So break it down into small pieces. List all the pieces; discrete actions that need to be taken. Decide what you can do now, today. Do it. Decide what will take longer. Create a timeline for starting and completing each activity. Post this plan where you will see it every day. Mark off actions that are completed as they are completed. Add new actions that you may have missed as they come up.
Here is the important part. Identify the major milestones along the way. When you achieve them celebrate! Be judicious. Not everything is a milestone. On the other hand, recognize that there will be important milestones on the way to your goal.
You are now creating your own changes. Because you are changing there will be changes around you. Some old things may fall away. New things will take their place. You are in new territory. The possibilities are endless!
While you are doing all the work for your career transition, network. Keep in touch, especially with people who can help you achieve your goal. Educate yourself. Read. Listen. Analyze. It’s all part of The Shift.
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