How many people are stuck in careers which bring them little joy? How many artists or creatives are stuck working as accountants? How many lawyers would love to go out and launch a start-up? How many supply chain managers are simply going through the motions every morning when they log in. How many of you simply live for Fridays?
What is stopping or keeping you from the job that will make you happy?
Of course we all have bills & responsibilities to take care of, but why is it that others who sometimes have far more to lose than us, are able to take the plunge and follow their dreams?
We can of course dismiss such people as reckless or lucky but is this always the case? What about the single mother of three who for 10 years, studies for a law degree part-time while working as a clerk? The doctor who wants to become a teacher and starts to retrain thus taking a 40% pay cut? The partner at a law firm who wants to return to painting after 20 years, to the horror of her friends and family? And so the list goes on.
Following your passion, dream career or one not related to your work experience or degree, is not about being reckless; nor is it about throwing caution to the wind. Rather, it’s about planning & then beginning to LIVE again for those 8 hrs or more, of your daily life.
Unfortunately, fear often keeps us rooted to our comfort zone. Very often, this is because we cannot predict the future and so we assume that to pursue one’s dream(s), one cannot fail and so unless we're 100% confident we will succeed, then it may better to stay put. Perhaps it's finances, family pressure, shame, or it could simply be that we're perfectionists and need to be ready and fully equipped before we begin our journey. And yet nothing could be further from the truth.
For many who have pursued their dream career, they have done so not by throwing caution to the wind but instead, by simply taking baby steps – perhaps even 2-5 years before making the leap & giving up their job. So,
If you’re ready to look forward to Mondays again, begin your baby steps today.
Start your research. What skills and/or qualifications do you need? Who on LinkedIn or outside, has your dream job? How did they get there? Review their profiles, research the subjects or careers they undertook and then reach out to them. Yes, they may ignore or turn your down (in my personal experience, few people do so if you reach out to them in a manner that indicates you've taken time to research them, their skills or organisation), but even if they do, don’t take rejection personally. I’m a firm believer in Stoicism so move on. As I wrote in my recent article ‘Don’t Take Criticisms Personally’, sometimes rejection/criticism is not about you. So move on and approach someone else. For this is the pre-step required to begin to Live – accepting and living with rejection & failure in pursuit of a life and career that reflects the real you.
Miriam Mukasa | Executive Coach | Executive Search | Leadership Development | ExecutiveGlobalCoaching.com
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