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We are bombarded with daily changes in both our personal and professional lives. In our professional lives, many changes happen to us: a corporate merger, a shift in job duties, a new boss. When was the last time that you made an important life decision? What did you do? How did you go about making the decision? What was the outcome? Making changes takes careful planning, including mapping out where you would like to end up. Many times, we let others map out the course of our lives for us. Does that make sense?
The beginning of a new year provides us with both challenges and opportunities. It provides us a time to in look at and reflect on our values. What do I really want to do? What is my real purpose? Mapping out your course begins with simple goals. After all, they will not become real if we do not commit to writing them down. How do I start and how will I get where I want to go? This first step is always the most difficult part of the journey.
Ask yourself: What are some little steps I can take this year to further my career? Remember: you can make big changes through beginning with small, deliberate steps, such as:
- Joining a new group
- Taking a professional development class
- Learning a new skill
- Asking to take more responsibility in your job
- Volunteering in an area outside of your comfort zone
If you are having trouble getting started, ask yourself these questions:
- What is holding me back?
- Have I ignored or dismissed something emotional or psychological?
- Can I overcome these barriers?
- Do I need extra support?
- Am I being unrealistic in my expectations?
What I know is that something magical takes place when you take small steps, you are open to new possibilities and as result, bigger steps follow. Be aware, however –just as losing 20 pounds does not happen immediately, but rather in gradual steps, and with lots of hard work, making a career change, comes through little steps, which lead to greater bigger steps before you reach your goal(s).
The future is always scary and intimidating; however, we can enter new territory by taking measured steps. As the Chinese proverb says about little steps:
"Raise the sail one foot and you get ten feet of wind."
About Author:
Ron Visconti, MA, has worked with hundreds of career changers and job seekers through career counseling, transition assistance, and Bay Area recruitment events. He previously founded and managed a nonprofit career center for 18 years (Career Education Center). He is an adjunct faculty for a number of local colleges. He is currently the Managing Director of the Peninsula Employment Group, LLC, a recruitment event and career development company.
Copyright Ron Visconti 2008
www.peninsulaemploymentgroup.com
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