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Newsletter: Creating Your Ideal Life November/06
Welcome to the November/06 issue of Creating
Your Ideal Life from Coach Michele of www.MyLifeCoach.com!
Wilfred Peterson by Michele Caron
So often we can feel stuck in our careers. We know we are not satisfied, but between the 9 to 5 grind, weekend errands, and various stressors in our life, it seems like change is impossible. Where can we even start? The secret is to start creating space/energy/inspiration wherever you can to get the ball rolling. Once you have some more space and energy in your life, inspired action is next. I am going to outline some steps I often take with clients beginning the process of career change. Now, the order of the steps will be different for each person, and each circumstance. Although this article is specifically addressing career change, many of the same steps can be taken in creating any major or minor change in your life. 1. Remove Draining Influences from Your Environment If you are going to be making a career change, you are going to want all of your “wits about you”. That means you need to be at your best, and things in your life that don’t contribute towards you being your best need to be addressed. For each of you, there will be different things holding you back. Do you have a “negative” friend or extended family member that constantly discounts your ideas or you quite honestly don’t enjoy spending time with? Did you volunteer for an activity that now you dread going to because it doesn’t really support your values? Time to take an honest and hard look at the things you participate in and the people you spend time with. If they don’t leave you with increased energy, you can’t afford them right now.
2. Create an Environment that Works for You Is your home, car and office space really working for you? Is there clutter or objects weighing you down? Do you have what you want, when you need it? Are the mechanical devices you rely on in great working order? These are the types of things we just “put up with”...But there are costs to putting up with things! Investing in getting more organized and getting your world working for you can free up more energy and motivation than you might think. (Creating supportive environments, included in steps 1 and 2 here, is a big topic only touched upon in this article...A Coach can help you really make huge strides in this area.)
3. Start Expressing Your Interests and Values Now Even if you are not sure they would lead to a career, the things you love, give you energy. This could be a hobby or intellectual pursuit. It could be some friends you love and make you feel great but you never treat yourself to spending time with. It could be volunteering for a cause that you care deeply about. What really lights your fire? Find a way to bring that in to your life *right now*. If you are not sure of your values and interests, your coach can help you discover them.
4. Create a Vision Just want do you want in a career, anyway? Not what do you think is realistic or the job market offers. That can come later. But for now, what do you *really* want? Freeing up your imagination and desires creates energy and provides a beacon leading you towards what will be fulfilling for you.
5. Start Non-Pressure Exploration and Action Once you have more energy and are feeling inspired about what might be possible for yourself, it is time to start exploring. I say non-pressure exploration, because you will feel the most free and be open to the most exciting possibilities when you aren’t pressuring yourself or worrying about when exactly you will find a great career, what exactly it will be, or if it will pay enough. Those worries just get in your way right now. For now, just explore. Your explorations can be online, in the newspaper and/or in speaking to people, as some examples. Search on Google to see what careers are out there related to what you are interested in. View the job listings for some companies or organizations you are interested in, even if you suspect you wouldn’t be qualified. Talk to that interesting person you met the other week about what they do. View some of the course offerings at college or university, and gauge for yourself what areas you find the most interesting. Get some books and magazines related to some of your interests. The more you explore, the more little ideas you will get for action. Act on many of these ideas! You don’t have to change your whole career now to take action. If you think you might be interested in human resources, call the human resources person at your current company or the one you used to work for, and ask if you can buy them lunch. If you think you might be interested in graphic design, see if you can volunteer to work on a non-profit organization’s website. What little creative ideas and urges do you have? Act on them and see what doors open next!
I hope I have given you some ideas for things you can start with right now to create a great new career for yourself. You, like everyone, deserve to be doing something you love. What you love also usually is related to your special nature, values and talents, so it will also bring the most to this world. Go for it!
________________________________________________ © Michele Caron, 2006. Michele is a consultant, entrepreneur, and Life/Career Coach. She can help you create your ideal life! Simply contact her at michele@mylifecoach.com for a free initial coaching session by phone. There are also many career and life resources at her web site, www.MyLifeCoach.com. You may redistribute or post this article on the web, as long as this copyright notice and link remain intact. Copyright © Michele Caron, 2002-2006 Table of Contents and Trademark Info |
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