!: Changing Careers - How You Sabotage Your Efforts

Do you have plenty of good intentions about changing your job and yet find they never come to fruition? Do you sit and daydream about what you could be doing and yet nothing changes?

So what is it that is stopping you?

The secret lies in tuning in to the little voice in your head that guides and directs your actions. That little voice will set the tone for how you approach your career change plans. You may be familiar with some of the messages:

How will I know I am doing the right thing? What if it all goes wrong? It'll mean starting all over again. I'm not good enough to do... Yes, but I can't afford it. Things never work out for me anyway It seems like such a marathon and I don't know where to start. I don't really know what I want to do, so I'd better wait till I am sure.

Heard any of these before? Yes, I thought so!

This little voice - your inner critic or your gremlin - is the source of your career change sabotage. The messages arise from your unconscious and generally are designed to keep you safe by stopping you taking any risks. As children, we were constantly encouraged to be careful and we often internalise that 'be careful, play safe' message and replay it automatically, even when it is no longer relevant. But playing safe is not always the best approach in life.

So what's to be done?

As an adult, you have the ability to tune into these messages and to question them. You can check if they are relevant and valid to your situation right now. You can see past the fearful 'gremlin' to the positive opportunities that lie ahead.

Here's how you might do that.

How will I know I am doing the right thing?

I can carefully review my skills, abilities, values, personality and experience and use these to identify career options that will be right for me

What if it all goes wrong?

What evidence is there that it will ALL go wrong? With careful planning and preparation I can minimise the risk.

It'll mean starting all over again.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? Why should I build on a career that makes me unhappy - better to start afresh on the right foundations for me.

I'm not good enough to do...

Who says? What evidence do I have that shows I will not be good enough? What can I do to fill any skills gaps?

Yes, but I can't afford it.

But I can plan for it. I can make sure that I don't leave my job without saving up some emergency funds. I can review my expenditure and be clear what is not essential. I can explore part time job options that can bridge the gap between my old and new careers.

Things never work out for me anyway.

Never? When have things worked out just a little bit? I can ask other people to tell me what they see as my successes and strengths.

It seems like such a marathon and I don't know where to start.

Any big change is achieved in small stages. I can break it down into tiny steps and keep on taking them. I will commit to doing one small thing each day.

I don't really know what I want to do - I'd better wait till I am sure.

I will never be 100% sure about anything. My plans may change a bit anyway as I move forwards anyway, so I might as well just start exploring. Clarity will not come from standing still.

See what I mean about questioning and challenging the little voice within?

So your three step action plan is:

Tune into the voice of your inner critic Challenge what it says and come up with alternative messages to re-shape your approach to career change Take action on the basis of your new approach.