Preparing for Change

The New American Heritage Dictionary defines the word change as a verb meaning to cause to be different. So how do you prepare for something to be different? It seems like the concept could be considered an oxymoron because how can you truly know what will be different? The truth about career transition is that you won’t know what the end result will be but you can count on certain things to be consistent. One thing for certain is that you will be drawing from your whole being- emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. Paying attention to each of these areas will go a long way in helping you deal with a pending career change.

 

When going through a life change such as a career change, you will experience a roller coaster of emotions- excitement, fear, happiness, sadness, etc. The feelings are a natural part of the process but at times may seem to be overwhelming. Be prepared for these feelings to arise and decide now how you might work through them. For example, you may find that journaling is an excellent method of dealing with emotions. If that is the method of choice, prepare by buying a special journal to have with you through the process. Another method may be talking with a trusted friend. For this choice, you could take the person out to coffee and explain what you will be going through and plan to meet once a week to talk.

 

Often we forget about the spiritual aspect of our lives when undertaking a change. It is sometimes difficult to take the time to pray and/or meditate when our lives become focused on change; however, this is the time when it is most important. Plan to take time by yourself to hear what God may be whispering to you.

 

Taking care of yourself physically is almost a cliché now days but it still is important to mention. Eating right, exercising, and getting enough rest does a body good.

 

A change is often mentally stimulating in itself; however, remember that continual learning is the key to overall success. Keep reading and listening to material that will enlarge your thinking.

 

Although you won’t be able to totally prepare for a career change, there are definite ways you can manage the process a lot smoother. Remember to prepare your whole being and you will be amazed at your progress.

Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as a life and career coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

Technorati Tags: career, career coach, employment, career change, job changes, downsizing

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First Steps Without Fear

Do you ever feel fear when thinking about changing careers? Fortunately, there are several simple things that you can do to relieve that nagging thought. First of all, identify what specifically is causing the negative emotion. Ask yourself what you are feeling. Is it fear of failure? Is it a feeling of being overwhelmed? Is it not knowing where to start? Knowing the cause of fear is the beginning of overcoming it.

Sometimes fear masks itself as procrastination. I have heard from many people that they would like to change careers but they don’t have the time to invest in it. Could it be they have the time but don’t want to face their fear? I suspect that it is case. To get over this hurdle, here is a simple technique to try. Set a timer for 5 minutes and in that 5 minutes concentrate fully on your career transition. Everyone has 5 minutes in the day to spare and it is absolutely amazing what can be accomplished. It seems that getting over that first 5 minutes is the biggest obstacle. I have tried it and found that even when I didn’t think I could possibly get beyond 5 minutes, I really could.

Add some fun to the process of thinking about career transition by allowing yourself to dream. Here is an idea to try. Imagine what the most fun jobs in the world would be. Don’t let education or money be barriers. Just allow your mind to come up with several scenarios. After thinking about it, write your thoughts down. Often there are common themes throughout the dream jobs, see if you can identify any. These themes can be the topic of your next planning session.

Perhaps the best way to alleviate fear is to talk it out. Enlist the support of a significant other, friend, or coach. It is amazing that once a fear is spoken about, it suddenly doesn’t seem to be nearly as scary as it was in your mind.

So if fear has you stuck, identify what the fear is, attack procrastination with the daily 5 minute plan, allow yourself to dream, and talk with a supportive person. Taking action in any small way melts the fear away.

Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as a life and career coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

Technorati Tags: career, career coach, employment, career change, job changes

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