Previous: Step 4: Looking Inside
Hey! How's it going? Are you still with me? I hope so. You are doing some terrific work that is really going to pay off so keep it up!
Step 5: Looking in the Mirror
It's time for some you time. At this point I recommend integrating into your life a system of personal health and wellness if you don't have one already. If you do already have one, then you ROCK!
I am solely interested in your ability to stay positive and focused through this process. Your physical health is directly connected to your mental health whether you know it or not. Stress suppresses the positive energy you need to do your best and I have found that the #1 way to relieve that stress is to exercise. You will see that the power of exercise to keep you energized through this process is truly profound. Obviously there are other health benefits to exercising and those are well documented. But as I am sure you can tell, executing a career change is hard work and stressful. You may not be sleeping well. Your diet may have slipped a bit. You could be carrying more tension and anxiety making you more irritable. Goodness knows this process can get you down and keep you there, which is completely counter productive to your mission. You need to be up and energized to turn things around. I try to emphasize staying positive and repeating positive phrases to yourself and those help but if you really want to release all of the tension and negativity this process can bring then the best way to do it is by exercising.
I'm not going to advocate for one exercise regime over another because I believe it's a personal choice. Nor do I have any idea when you might be able to squeeze it into your day. You can do yoga in the morning or go for a run in the evening. You can lift weights or use a stairmaster. I happen to be able to fit it in on my lunch break, which works really well for me. Just get it in there. 30 minutes 3-4 times a week will do wonders.
One last thing, you should always consult your doctor before beginning an exercise routine. You're working too hard to let anything jeopardize your success so be sure that you and your doctor are on the same page regarding what you can and can't handle.
Ok, now back to work...
Up Next: Step 6: Looking to Others
Showing posts with label you can do it. Show all posts
Showing posts with label you can do it. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Making a Career Change: Step 2 Looking Back
Previously: Step 1: Get a Handy Dandy Notebook
Wasn't step 1 easy?! Now that you have your notebook it's time to fill it by embarking on a journey of self-exploration to fully assess where you have been, where you are, where you are going and most importantly where you WANT to go in your professional life. I used to think careers were not about what we wanted but I have since learned otherwise. It's all about what we want and what will make us happy. You know the old Confucius saying "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
Because this process is intensely personal with no wrong answers, it is what you make of it. You will get back what you put in. It is important that you uncensor yourself as much as possible. To help you get started I will lay down some ground rules:
Step 2: Looking Back
In your notebook, answer the following questions:
Up Next: Step 3: Looking Inside
Wasn't step 1 easy?! Now that you have your notebook it's time to fill it by embarking on a journey of self-exploration to fully assess where you have been, where you are, where you are going and most importantly where you WANT to go in your professional life. I used to think careers were not about what we wanted but I have since learned otherwise. It's all about what we want and what will make us happy. You know the old Confucius saying "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
Because this process is intensely personal with no wrong answers, it is what you make of it. You will get back what you put in. It is important that you uncensor yourself as much as possible. To help you get started I will lay down some ground rules:
- Don't worry about anyone ever reading what you are writing, unless you want them to of course.
- Be honest. The more brutally honest the better.
- Write now and think later. Tap into your stream of consciousness and let your pen do all the work. Don't think too hard about what you are writing and just write. Often your initial response is the best one so write it down before you can censor yourself.
- Complete each step in full to the best of your ability.
Step 2: Looking Back
In your notebook, answer the following questions:
- When you were younger what did you want to do for a living? What did you dream of being?
- What activities interested you when you were a child? Teenager?
- Where did you go to school and what was your major? Why did you pick that as a major?
- Who are the major influential figures in your past? What characteristics about those people appealed to you?
- How did you get where you are now? Who helped you get here? What interested you initially about getting to this particular place? Did you get here by accident or on purpose? What skills helped you get here?
- List all of the jobs you have ever had in your life.
- For each job in question #6, list your most significant accomplishments noting the ones of which you are most proud.
Up Next: Step 3: Looking Inside
Monday, November 7, 2011
Making a Career Change: Step 1 Get a Handy Dandy Notebook
I have a friend who works in real estate. He started his own business in New York City and just recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Specifically, he handles corporate relocation (i.e. an employee gets money to move to a new city, the employee gives the money to my friend who helps the employee find an apartment). Obviously, this industry has fallen on some shaky times lately. Not only did the market crash but companies slowed down their employee relocation programs. Thus, my friend's business struggled and he decided that it was in his best interest to pursue something else. So he enrolled in a graduate program to become an elementary school teacher. During this program he realized that teaching wasn't for him and that he actually liked the freedom and exhilaration he got from being his own boss and working as hard as he could to help his business stay alive.
What my friend did was assess his career path in order to confirm that he was happy with where he was going, challenged on the job, utilizing his strengths, and emotionally and financially pleased with what he was doing. He found something amiss in his assessment (the crashing market and decreased business) and saw how that put his family at risk so he developed a plan to fix it. He spent time and money on a graduate program but ended up not using the degree right away. That degree is certainly in his pocket in case something goes wrong down the road. For now, though, his business is operating better than it ever has. (By the way, if you need NYC Real Estate services let me know. I'll connect you to him.)
When I was making the decision to leave the theatre and pursue a different career I was the complete opposite of my friend. I too assessed my situation and came up with something, many things actually, amiss. But it was difficult to make a plan. It was hard to get over the idea that I had spent so much time, energy and money earning a degree I wouldn't end up needing whereas he went out and got a degree just in case he needed it. My long term goals always involved a lengthy and prosperous theatre career, first working professionally and then teaching. All of my training, my network, my application materials, and my career experiences were focused in theatre and I hadn't a clue as to how to use any of them to find a job in another industry. I was fairly certain that I could and would be successful doing other things, I just didn't know what those thing were nor how I was going to find them. It was intimidating, humbling and scary to say the least.
Yet, here we both are on the other side and doing just fine. He stayed where he was and made it, realizing he was doing what he wanted to do. I executed a change because I was burnt out and defeated, and I made it. You will make it too.
If you find yourself with disillusionment about your career choice, if you flat out don't like what you are doing, if you are intimidated and scared about making a career change, if you feel like you need a change because something has happened in your industry, or if you just feel like it's time to move on but don't know how, then repeat after me "I can and will do this." Say it over and over. Believe it. Say it again! Once you believe it, you are ready to get started:
Step 1: Get a Handy Dandy Notebook (Yes my boys watch Blue's Clues!)
You need a place to write things down because there's going to be a lot of list making and brainstorming and being able to have it all in one organized place will make the process easier for you. It can be spiral bound, a three ring binder, a trapper keeper, a journal with rainbows and unicorns or even a computer file (although I recommend using actual pen and paper). Just make sure you get something. Down the road, when you are actually in the midst of making the change this notebook is going to be the best resource you could have because we're going to fill it with information about you which you'll then be able to utilize in networking, cover letters and interviews.
What my friend did was assess his career path in order to confirm that he was happy with where he was going, challenged on the job, utilizing his strengths, and emotionally and financially pleased with what he was doing. He found something amiss in his assessment (the crashing market and decreased business) and saw how that put his family at risk so he developed a plan to fix it. He spent time and money on a graduate program but ended up not using the degree right away. That degree is certainly in his pocket in case something goes wrong down the road. For now, though, his business is operating better than it ever has. (By the way, if you need NYC Real Estate services let me know. I'll connect you to him.)
When I was making the decision to leave the theatre and pursue a different career I was the complete opposite of my friend. I too assessed my situation and came up with something, many things actually, amiss. But it was difficult to make a plan. It was hard to get over the idea that I had spent so much time, energy and money earning a degree I wouldn't end up needing whereas he went out and got a degree just in case he needed it. My long term goals always involved a lengthy and prosperous theatre career, first working professionally and then teaching. All of my training, my network, my application materials, and my career experiences were focused in theatre and I hadn't a clue as to how to use any of them to find a job in another industry. I was fairly certain that I could and would be successful doing other things, I just didn't know what those thing were nor how I was going to find them. It was intimidating, humbling and scary to say the least.
Yet, here we both are on the other side and doing just fine. He stayed where he was and made it, realizing he was doing what he wanted to do. I executed a change because I was burnt out and defeated, and I made it. You will make it too.
If you find yourself with disillusionment about your career choice, if you flat out don't like what you are doing, if you are intimidated and scared about making a career change, if you feel like you need a change because something has happened in your industry, or if you just feel like it's time to move on but don't know how, then repeat after me "I can and will do this." Say it over and over. Believe it. Say it again! Once you believe it, you are ready to get started:
Step 1: Get a Handy Dandy Notebook (Yes my boys watch Blue's Clues!)
You need a place to write things down because there's going to be a lot of list making and brainstorming and being able to have it all in one organized place will make the process easier for you. It can be spiral bound, a three ring binder, a trapper keeper, a journal with rainbows and unicorns or even a computer file (although I recommend using actual pen and paper). Just make sure you get something. Down the road, when you are actually in the midst of making the change this notebook is going to be the best resource you could have because we're going to fill it with information about you which you'll then be able to utilize in networking, cover letters and interviews.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
I Have The Power!!!!
Finally! Our electricity was restored last night at 7:00pm. It was a long 4 days to say the least. When it came back on I felt like He-Man! It was great! I was starting to see my breath inside my house last night and was getting a little nervous so thank goodness it's been restored and we can start getting life back to normal.
This week has been a living testament that we can overcome adversity when we set our minds to it by adapting to the circumstances with which we are faced and by putting faith in the notion that someone or something will step in to help when we need it most (just like here: Hitting the Wall).
I reworked my routine by showering at the gym at work and by taking up friends and neighbors on their offers to have me over for dinner. I added extra blankets to the bed and sent my wife and kids to my in-laws where they had a generator providing heat and electricity. I also kept a positive attitude, something I will readily admit is not always easy to do and sometimes down right impossible. I understood that every minute, hour, and day that passed brought me that much closer to the resolution of the crisis. Remember, every second we spend worrying and fretting about the situation in which we find ourselves is a second we are not spending devising a solution to get through it.
So what's your adversity? Feel like you are in a dead end at work? Conflict with your boss? Want to make a career change but afraid to get started? Trust me, you can overcome that and anything else that comes your way.
"The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists."
Japanese Proverb
"Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth."
Susan Taylor
"In adversity, remember to keep an even mind."
Horace
This week has been a living testament that we can overcome adversity when we set our minds to it by adapting to the circumstances with which we are faced and by putting faith in the notion that someone or something will step in to help when we need it most (just like here: Hitting the Wall).
I reworked my routine by showering at the gym at work and by taking up friends and neighbors on their offers to have me over for dinner. I added extra blankets to the bed and sent my wife and kids to my in-laws where they had a generator providing heat and electricity. I also kept a positive attitude, something I will readily admit is not always easy to do and sometimes down right impossible. I understood that every minute, hour, and day that passed brought me that much closer to the resolution of the crisis. Remember, every second we spend worrying and fretting about the situation in which we find ourselves is a second we are not spending devising a solution to get through it.
So what's your adversity? Feel like you are in a dead end at work? Conflict with your boss? Want to make a career change but afraid to get started? Trust me, you can overcome that and anything else that comes your way.
"The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists."
Japanese Proverb
"Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth."
Susan Taylor
"In adversity, remember to keep an even mind."
Horace
Monday, October 24, 2011
Hitting the Wall
Regarding the ability to stay motivated during a career change and how important it is to have the proper support network in place, I am reminded of hitting the wall during the 2003 NYC Marathon.
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, about my physique that suggests marathon runner. I had heard a lot about athletes hitting the wall but had never hit it myself and I certainly wasn't prepared for it. It was miles 18-22. Jeff Galloway suggested putting your first name on your shirt so that the spectators could shout your name. I must have heard my name 1,000 times or more that day, which helped a lot. But it wasn't any of those people that actually made the biggest impact. Turns out, it was one person way up First Ave., standing alone on a corner, holding a white poster board with "You Can Do It" written in black marker. If I heard my name 1,000 times, I saw 10,000 signs many of which were very well done. Yet, the one sign that meant the most couldn't have taken more than 60 seconds to make.
I had seen my family and friends on First Ave. at about mile 16 and I was doing OK. Within 2 miles, however, it all fell apart. My body started to ache, knees especially, my emotions sunk, and I was in a lot of pain. The wall came upon me very suddenly. I didn't realize what was happening. All I knew was that I could barely take another step. Thanks again to Jeff Galloway's book I had $20 for a cab in my pocket in case I needed it and boy did I ever. I almost quit.
And then...as I started to reach for the money, deciding that I couldn't possibly continue, I saw this person and that sign. "You Can Do It". 4 words. I don't even think they were capitalized! I said it to myself. I took the next step. And the next one. Moments after that I looked to the sidewalk and saw my bother-in-law and sister-in-law who I didn't even know were going to be there. Somehow they had found me in the back of a sea of 33,000 people. I think I may have broken down and cried and for a few minutes they ran with me, again providing the support I needed at the right time just like the sign. I was still in pain but I knew I could continue.
As much as you train, plan and prepare by getting yourself ready and putting your support network in place, sometimes you just can't predict from where that one key thing will come. Just get started and put your faith in yourself, and others will be there when you need them. There's a picture of me at mile 23 and I am smiling. Somehow I had made it over the wall and was running again and smiling. If the person holding that sign is out there, thanks so much. You have no idea how important your presence was that day. Had I not seen you I wouldn't have made it to see my bother-in-law and sister-in-law and I wouldn't have finished. Crazy the way things happen isn't it?
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, about my physique that suggests marathon runner. I had heard a lot about athletes hitting the wall but had never hit it myself and I certainly wasn't prepared for it. It was miles 18-22. Jeff Galloway suggested putting your first name on your shirt so that the spectators could shout your name. I must have heard my name 1,000 times or more that day, which helped a lot. But it wasn't any of those people that actually made the biggest impact. Turns out, it was one person way up First Ave., standing alone on a corner, holding a white poster board with "You Can Do It" written in black marker. If I heard my name 1,000 times, I saw 10,000 signs many of which were very well done. Yet, the one sign that meant the most couldn't have taken more than 60 seconds to make.
I had seen my family and friends on First Ave. at about mile 16 and I was doing OK. Within 2 miles, however, it all fell apart. My body started to ache, knees especially, my emotions sunk, and I was in a lot of pain. The wall came upon me very suddenly. I didn't realize what was happening. All I knew was that I could barely take another step. Thanks again to Jeff Galloway's book I had $20 for a cab in my pocket in case I needed it and boy did I ever. I almost quit.
And then...as I started to reach for the money, deciding that I couldn't possibly continue, I saw this person and that sign. "You Can Do It". 4 words. I don't even think they were capitalized! I said it to myself. I took the next step. And the next one. Moments after that I looked to the sidewalk and saw my bother-in-law and sister-in-law who I didn't even know were going to be there. Somehow they had found me in the back of a sea of 33,000 people. I think I may have broken down and cried and for a few minutes they ran with me, again providing the support I needed at the right time just like the sign. I was still in pain but I knew I could continue.
As much as you train, plan and prepare by getting yourself ready and putting your support network in place, sometimes you just can't predict from where that one key thing will come. Just get started and put your faith in yourself, and others will be there when you need them. There's a picture of me at mile 23 and I am smiling. Somehow I had made it over the wall and was running again and smiling. If the person holding that sign is out there, thanks so much. You have no idea how important your presence was that day. Had I not seen you I wouldn't have made it to see my bother-in-law and sister-in-law and I wouldn't have finished. Crazy the way things happen isn't it?
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