My take on How To Change Careers in 2018, which includes my top five tips to stop dreaming and start doing. https://www.mydeal.com.au/blog/post/changing-careers-in-2018
There’s a big difference between dreaming and doing. That cherished ambition or aspiration to have a career that ticks all the boxes in terms of self-fulfilment and financial security is one thing, but turning that into a reality can be daunting and even downright scary.
But why is it so difficult to make any big change? Well in simple terms, it’s because our ‘primitive brain’ (limbic system) prefers the easiest option, has a tendency to procrastinate and sees change as a threat, so routinely pushes us to avoid or ignore making change.
The good news is that our ‘thinking brain’ (prefrontal cortex), on the other hand, is goal driven has a long-term perspective and can, under the right circumstances, be primed to see change as a positive thing.
So here are five tips to engage your ‘thinking brain’ and help you stop dreaming and start doing:
1. Define your goals – the what, why, how, who and when of a goal, not only engages your ‘thinking brain’ but also primes your ‘primitive brain’ with the right script to use whilst you are on autopilot.
2. Understand your purpose and values – when aligned with your goals, they become a powerful intrinsic motivator to either get you started or move you forward.
3. Leverage your strengths – knowing, growing and using your strengths effectively is a great way to provide the energy you need to achieve your goals.
4. Identify growth opportunities – we all have transferable skills, so explore what they are and then identify what training or development opportunities would help you grow into your future career.
5. One small step – when we project too far into the future, it can be highly demotivating, so find the next incremental step towards your dream career, focus on it, celebrate achieving it and then rinse and repeat.