Getting a new career is often at the top of people new year’s resolutions lists. Fair enough after all, work is one of that’s where we spend the most time so if there are changes to make, it seems straightforward enough that a career change could make a huge improvement in your well-being.
But before polishing your resume and firing up your network, there’s one question you need to ask yourself: ‘Do I need a career change or do I need a new life?’
No, you don't need a new career. You need a fresh start! If you want to transform your life you need to fundamental changes, and not just cosmetic ones Click To Tweet
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If you prefer reading, here’s the transcript
The beginning of the year is the time many people are aspiring to make big changes such as a career change. Generally that means improving your skill set, looking for you new employer, working on your network, etcetera. I believe something is missing from this picture.
Hey, everyone, this is Dominique Andersen. Welcome to StretchandBloom Soundbite where in five minutes or less, I will give you a quick tip to create a life you love.
When I observe the professionals around me, what I see is not so much people who are suffering from their jobs as people who are suffering from how they have structured their lives. So let me explain this: it’s not so much about a new career, a new boss or a new field, it’s about a renewal.
The first question is why is their life breaking down? Often I hear the same story:
“I joined this field because well, I could study this subject and I work my way up, sounded respectable, lucrative, stable,”. Blah blah blah.
But you know what I don’t hear so often?
“I was passionate about this career”.
It’s about the compromise, it started with the compromise. Now if you apply the same technic to getting out of the hole, you will get the same results. So it’s not about looking for a new compromise, it’s about new questions or even a new method to get new results.
When people think career change, it’s either a new position, a new role in a somewhat similar capacity, or an upgrade or the other option is to drop out completely and run in the opposite direction. You’ve probably heard the stories of the lawyers who turned yoga teachers, bankers who travel the world etcetera. I think in a way those approach are not ideal – if they’re not executed properly – because they leave out a huge part of the equation.
The point is, it’s not about running one way or another, it’s about understanding what’s broken, why it broke, and creating a customized solution. When your career breaks down, it’s not from the reason, it’s a symptom of misalignment. You can’t fix a situation until you understand what’s misaligned.
So, before you run to a new employer, before you run to the new fad industry, you have to take the time to do the soul searching and understamd what’s going on. Is it the values of the company, is it the job, is it the workload, is it the motivation, is it your aspiration? The environment, your colleagues, company culture, the format, ethical issues etcetera etcetera etcetera.
You have to dig and understand what’s happening. You know I understand that change is scary and most people want to alleviate the fear by resorting to solutions that are easy – solutions that they know. So it’s search, network, apply, interview and find a new safe spot. But if the model is broken, if the reason you get into that model are wrong you’re still going to find yourself in the same position looking for a new position.
To conclude this, what I want to tell you is don’t aim for career change to fit the situation. Don’t aim for career change, aim for holistic life reinvention. It’s about understanding your needs. Your urges, your values, the responsibilities you may have, your interest. It’s not about trying to fit your life around a solution, it’s about creating a solution that wraps up around you.
Thank you for listening, if you’ve enjoyed this tip, make sure to join my inner circle. That’s where you’ll get access to all my in-depth tips. To join, got to stretchandbloom.com/innercircle.
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