One of the things that often stops people making change is fear of the outcome, both what if it doesn’t work out but also what if it does and therefore will I be able to maintain it. I often get these clients to reflect on how they would feel if they were still in the same place in 5 years’ time and the answer is always disappointed, unhappy, feeling regret. They realise there is always a benefit or impact that will be positive for them or that staying in the same place is not an option they want to consider.
Take it one step at a time
Take one recent client session as an example where my client found themselves stuck, they wanted to apply for a new job, had not finished their cv and was struggling to do this. What came up for them was a fear around moving somewhere new (whilst at the same time staying in the same place was not an option they wanted to take).
One important thing to remember if you feel the fear taking over, take it one step at a time. Do one task at a time, write your cv (without any intent apart from getting it done), do some research about possible roles, talk to other people who may be able to help you. It’s about making it manageable whilst ensuring you take another step. Once you have done this step you can move onto the next one etc. For example once you have written your cv, you can then tailor it for the role and then you can send it off. It is making sure it is manageable whilst ensuring that you take the step.
When my client tuned into the fear they realised they weren’t applying for roles that they really wanted, decided some more research was their next step before then applying for the right roles.
Each step is an important part of the process
The other thing to remember with the fear of trying something new is that as you take each step you can change your mind; if you feel it is not right or if something different and of more interest comes up. For example, at no point in the application process are you committing yourself, it is still part of the research but can be invaluable in helping you find out more about yourself, what you want, whether this is the right opportunity for you, what possible opportunities are available that you didn’t know about etc but you do need to take a step to gain this knowledge.
What are you not currently taking steps to do because of fear? What could be the first step you could make to change that?
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If fear is stopping you make a change in your career or you want to make a change in your career but don’t know where to start feel free to contact me to arrange a complimentary 30 minute call to find out how my career change programme could help you.