Feeling stuck in a rut? Curious about what your career trajectory could look like? Sometimes, we find ourselves unhappy in a job but scared to make the first step because the unknown can be uncomfortable. Although you may not have all the answers yet, the exciting news is that you can make changes. It’s your life…you are in the driver’s seat!
Too many times, I see individuals start the job/career search by starting with the job postings. Their plan is to read through job postings and see how they can mold themselves and their resumes to match the job posting. While this can be successful for some, it’s not the path I recommend. Rather, let’s start by identifying and removing the roadblocks, exploring who you are, and creating a vision for the life you want to design for yourself before you start the job search. This path will increase your confidence and allow you to see a clear match between yourself and potential occupations. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) reminds us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” First, we need to start casting a vision for your career.
Create Your Dream Life
Let’s get creative! Close your eyes for a minute. Start to let your mind wander and explore what your life could look like. Think about these questions:
Where are you living?
What time do you wake up each day?
What does your morning routine look like?
How do you get to work each day?
How many hours would you like to work each day?
What are you wearing to work?
What are you doing for work? Working with people? With technology? Working behind the scenes in a logistics role? Working with data?
What makes you happy about your job?
Who are you working with? Who are you serving?
What type of income would you like to be earning?
What does your office environment look like? Is it at home? At an office building? Traveling? A laptop in the community coffee shop?
What time of day/evening is it when you wrap up your workday?
What does your evening routine look like?
This example of visualization can be a powerful tool in helping you cast a vision. Before I left working full-time in Higher Education, I had the opportunity to do this exercise with co-workers. As a busy mom of two young kids who was working full-time and always exhausted trying to juggle it all, I longed for more balance, more quality time with my kids and to not miss the little moments while they were still young. No joke, within two years of casting my vision and writing out my visualization, I was creating the life that I wanted. God knew the desires of my heart along with the vision that I wanted to create, and He opened doors for my husband to advance his career while I stepped into a part-time role and found balance as a working mom.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. – Psalm 37: 4 (NLT)
Make an Internal Investment
While externally you may be feeling stuck or frustrated over your working environment and looking for a change, shift your focus to your own growth plan. Let’s shift our focus to gaining more internal peace. Make an investment in yourself.
If you’re interested in taking the first step to work with a Career Exploration Coach, reach out to me for a free 30-minute consultation call. I can help you adjust your mindset, remove the roadblocks, leverage your skill set, identify your values & abilities, and gain momentum in your career pivot to align with how God has wired you for the purpose that He has for you.
The Lord has made everything for its own purpose. – Proverbs 16:4 (NASB)
Written by: Heidi Sawyer
heidi@restorationcoachingatl.com
Heidi enjoys working with clients to utilize assessment tools to increase self-awareness so they can make informed decisions about their goals or career paths. She loves working with young adults who are exploring their future career paths or with women transitioning back into the career field after a season of focusing on their family. She would love to work with you to outline your goals and remove the roadblocks that prevent you from moving towards the path that God has for you!