“20 years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
Can you change the course of your career? Can you really find a new path in life?
One of my clients was on vacation and decided to go scuba diving. The idea was intriguing until it was time for her to jump off the boat. Every time she stepped up to jump, she was overwhelmed by fear and stopped, letting someone else go. She had talked herself out of participating. After everyone had jumped off, the guide comforted her and gave her the encouragement she needed. She thought about the reason she was there, took a deep breath, and jumped. The experience for her was “mind awakening”. She said the thought of almost backing out of what turned out to be transformational in every way was a pivotal life lesson. This bold step changed the course of her life and opened up opportunities for her to explore, dream, and discover.
You can change the course of your career and find a new path for your life by asking yourself why is it important for you to make a change. The question why leads to the answers and the action. We are living in a time that change is rapid and if we are not prepared to accept change we can become a relic.
An easy guide to take you out of the land of “familiar”:
1. You can find a new path simply by taking the time to be introspective and honest with yourself. Steve Job when he spoke at Stanford commencement asked the students “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today”? If the answer to that question is No, that is the sign for change. If you are not doing what makes you experience fulfillment, change is in order.
2. Research and determine what you most value. Review and come up with the top 5 values that are important for you. Look at how they are playing out in your life currently. If not, this is a place to begin your work.
3. What gives you the most pleasure regardless of whether or not you are making money from this. There may be aspects that can be placed in the design for you. With what you are currently doing, do you see any of your childhood dreams in place? Even though they were childish dreams, there may be some significance for you now. Investigate this.
4. What gifts do you have that have not been used? They have been sitting waiting for you to observe their worth and have you share them with the world.
5. Look at change as exciting as moving to your dream home. You probably first can think about what do you want for the dream home – location, style, design, size, and cost. This gives you direction for where to look and what you are looking for. The search can be enjoyable as you use your checklist to add new options and delete others. When you find that dream house, you are satiated. Let the changes you make in your career and your life be as comforting, exciting as finding your dream home. Similar questions of location, style, design, cost for your career change. I.e.: Where do I want to live and work? Are my values aligned with where I am exploring? Will I have the work life balance with what I am considering? Can I make the money to support the lifestyle that I want?
If you take these steps and dive deep, you can have the transformation my client experienced on her first scuba diving and you won’t be disappointed by the things you didn’t do but exhilarated by what you did. Go forth to explore, dream, and discover!