Now is the time

I never would consider myself a 'take the leap' kind of gal. But admittedly I get bored with things easily. I use to apply a label of 'quits things easily' or 'doesn't finish what she starts'. I'm done with all that now though. Through exposure to others and my own learnings and knowings I just feel differently about starting new and different things, even if you only do them for a while.

Let's back this up a little a talk about the pressure we put on kids to 'choose a career' at the ripe age of 17-18 years old. Doesn't that spark anyone as an absurd idea in the first place? I don't know about you guys but when I was 17 'career' was the last thing on my mind. What was on my mind at that age was independence, and doing what I want and doing fun stuff, not what do you want to do the rest of your lives.

It really is no wonder that we have so many people who follow a path and then once they get into their 'career's feel regret in their choices. Maybe their well meaning parents encouraged them into something more lucrative or something more stable. What does any of that mean anyway?

I have known plenty of people in my life that question this a lot. In fact I think until a person enters retirement they never really know if they are in the right 'career'. Then retirement comes with a whole new set of issues, I don't have time to get into today.

So, I've decided to create a new set of rules, you can feel free to use some, all or none of these. This is in an effort to free yourself from the question, "am I in the right job" or "how do I know if I'm in the right job"

1. There is not a right answer. If you asking if it's right or not, you are asking the wrong question. Right and wrong make the assumption there is an absolute answer and there's not. Human's just don't work that way. We wish we did, but we are way to complex for such things. So, just throw away the concept that there is an exact right place, path or journey for you. You map as you go. From here on out, you are the mapper of your journey.

2. Most people weren't wired to do one thing their entire life. Feel free to argue that one. I'm sure you have a million examples of people you know who did a job for lots of years, maybe even your parents. People evolve as they put them selves into situations and projects and teams, which means their interests will change as well, so if you had any misconception of choosing something for life, or doing this until you retire, probably you can let that go too.

3. I have no idea what the ideal job is for me. Sorry, I don't believe this one either. Chances are you have an exact idea of what that is, you have just conviced or told yourself you can't have it because people will think it's stupid, no one has done it before, you have no idea how to do it or get started, or any other list of excuses you have allowed to block you from things that you love.

4. Everyone else seems to have things figured out. Lies, sorry, also a lie. I know a lot of people that question their work concept a lot. And it's also ok to not have it all figured out. The first step might just be to acknowledge what isn't working so you can start to pay attention to what is.

5. I'm concerned about money. Maybe I won't make enough. Or if I leave this job, I can't afford to make less, I can't afford to go back to school. Insert your own money excuse. I want to to take a little trip down memory lane, think about the lowest paying job you've ever had. Look at what you made happen with the amount you made. Now I'm not saying money isn't a valid issue, it just shouldn't be the reason stopping you, because there are lots of times where people adjust to fit their means. And once you decide to make a change, a lot of times things fall into place.

I know your work and career can be an emotionally charged subject. Most people spend the majority of their waking hours there. I just want to today give you a permission card that it's ok to do the thing that you really want to do. It's ok to change your mind. It's ok to start something and then change your mind. It's ok to do something for a long time and then change your mind. It's never too late to use the experiences you've gained to want something different for yourself.

If you feel drawn to the topic of career choice or re-careering, I'd love to connect with you for a consultation where I can draw on Intuitive Guidance and HR Experience to help create a map which directly aligns you with a path.

Connect with me at jesskippes@gmail.com