It's Not a Total Overhaul, It's Just Tweaking
by Deborah Brown-Volkman, contributing columnist

Many people tell me that they want to be somewhere else in their career. They also tell me that the economy, their age, experience, etc. have been the obstacles that have been standing in their way. Where are you in your career? Are you out of work? Or, are you struggling to handle the workload that has been assigned to you? I know you have been doing the best you can do. But since it is already a given know how hard you have been working, then why don't you have what you want yet?

Before you can answer that question, you must recognize that difficulty in one area of your life (your career) does not mean that your whole life needs an overhaul. Career frustration is not a reason to blame yourself for where you are. Instead it is a reason to take responsibility for past decisions so you can deal with them and move on.

So What Can You Do To Move On?

1. Acknowledge The Disappointments And Wrong Moves

Everyone makes mistakes. It is part of human nature.
But when you judge your entire self for individual
decisions, the only one you hurt is yourself. No matter
how bad prior decisions were, you will not be able to
move forward until you acknowledge them for what they
were; and they were simply decisions that you made when
you did not know better. You did the best that you
could. Leave yourself alone and keep walking.

2. Acknowledge That You Just Need A Little Tweaking

Just because you need to work on your career does not
mean that you have to work on your whole life.
Sometimes when we are facing a tough situation, we
look to fix ourselves as a whole, and we avoid focusing
on the specific area that needs attention. We end up
setting ourselves up to fail. When we create a large,
overpowering problem that touches all aspects of our
lives, we become unable to identify the true setback
which can be manageable on it's own.

3. Use What Does Work

Do you have great relationships with people? Are you
an excellent writer? Do you communicate well in person
or by telephone? Capitalize on your assets and put a
plan together where you can put them to best use.
Everyone has talents and gifts, and so do you. Rather
than focus on what's not working, use your strengths
to make up for your weaknesses.

4. Get Into Action

Will your career improve on purpose or by accident?
Are you taking actions or have you stopped dead in your
tracks? If you are waiting until your career improves
on its own before you act, you will be waiting a long
time. Your career will get better when you make it
better, but only if you keep moving and take actions
that will move you forward. Action creates the access
to what you want. There are no shortcuts. Don't expect
to find one.

5. Recognize That You Will Get To The Other Side

Life is all about the highs and the lows. If your
career is at a low point, remember that it will not
be in this state forever. It will get better. Remind
yourself that you are more than your career. When you
question what's yet to come, tell yourself that your
career is only a slice of the pie. You will be rewarded
with a bright future.

So what do you say? You only have one life to live so it might as well be a life you love!




 

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Deborah Brown is a noted Career and Mentor Coach that shows Entrepreneurs, Executives, Professionals, and Coaches how to transition into careers they love, excel in the careers they have now, start their own businesses, and find time for themselves. She is the author of the "21-Day Career Empowerment" program. This 21-day e-mail program gives participants the insight, clarity, and knowledge to either choose their current position or their next career To Learn More Visit: http://www.surpassyourdreams.com , send an e-mail to info@surpassyourdreams.com or call (516) 432-2440.