3 Career Change Pitfalls to Avoid
A pit is a large, deep hole in the ground. If you fall in, you could take you days, months, or years to re-emerge. During your career change journey, I don't want you to fall into any pits. Here are three to avoid, and actions to take to make sure you find your way around them.
You'll notice that the pitfalls include mental and emotional holes. That's because how we think and feel drives how we act. If your thoughts and emotions are on a positive track, most likely your actions will be on track as well.
#1: Panic
Federal Express, the delivery company, used to give away buttons that said, "Don't Panic!" Of course, Fed EX implied that overnight, guaranteed delivery would solve the panic. Freight delivery wouldn't solve mine. My panics were career related: would I find a job? How would I pay the rent? How close was I to becoming a bag lady? (I'm convinced that the bag-lady fear still lurks in many women's minds.)
I put the "Don't Panic!" button on my refrigerator. I needed the constant reminder NOT to succumb. Panic squeezed the life out of me. Panic either froze my brain or sent it spinning in a hundred different directions.
Perhaps you've recently lost your job. Perhaps your current job is quickly moving to the beyond-bearable stage. Perhaps you're having difficulty getting your new career off the ground--you know, the new career that you invested your life's savings in. Like I did, you might be living in panic mode.
Action: Ask yourself: am I in a near-constant state of panic? If the answer is yes, breathe. Panic will solve nothing; you know that. A plan might. Creative inspiration might. An outsider perspective might. Inner strenthening definitely will. But you can't get there unless you first notice--observe without judgment--where you are right now.
#2: FEAR
Fear is panic's younger sister. Fear has many disguises: procrastination, helplessness, and perfectionism to name a few. As I get older, I let fear stop me less and less; I've noticed the same in my friends of the same age. But the turn of the calendar isn't the only way to manage fear. Like observing panic, the first step to eliminate fear is to notice and name it.
Action: Make a list of what you might possibly do to disguise fear, such as procrastination or perfectionism. You don't have to know for sure, you're just guessing. Now, pick one from the list. On a designated day, notice when the behavior you picked crops up. Is it masking fear? If it is, there's nothing else for you to do. Just notice.
#3: Feeling overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed is a huge issue for women. And it's no wonder, with our tendency to take care of everyone else first and ourselves last.
One antidote to feeling overwhelmed is to have a plan. Even if you just move all of the "to-do's" in your head to a piece of paper, that can help. Look at them on the paper and ask yourself, "Do I REALLY need to do this?"
Action: If you've purchased the ebook, read Chapter 9 of Career Change the Stress-Free Way: Inner Secrets to a New Career. This chapter will give you the essence of planning in a simple and easy-to-understand way. Next, plan your career, one phase at a time. And don't forget to plan in fun along the way!
