Over the past four weeks I’ve had the pleasure of having in-depth conversations with twenty two awesome applicants to our signature Career Clarity Coaching programs. I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know people and feel honored to be trusted with their stories and hopes.
It occurred to me that I have a unique vantage point in terms of talking to so many people who are wanting to figure out their careers. (I’ve spoken to hundreds of professionals over the years.) Naturally, I’ve gained some knowledge as a result of this experience.
In fact, there are 10 things that I know about you even if I’ve never met you.
1. You are full of potential.
If you drop all the worries and the doubts and the comparisons, what you’re left with is a simple truth. You are a child of the universe with life, gifts, and possibility within you. Did you catch that? Did you really connect to it? If I were in front of you I would be waving my arms around. You have all the right ingredients inside of you already.
2. Those less fun emotions that you feel sometimes are not who you are.
You feel confused, scared, anxious, burnt out, or bored at times. You have moments when you don’t feel supremely confident. Welcome to being human. We all have those emotions. They are temporary and they don’t define you.
3. You can learn and grow.
So you don’t have everything figured out right now. Who does?! But you can learn as you go. You can figure things out. You’re a smart cookie. Give yourself a chance to make mistakes, which is a synonym for learning.
4. You have blind spots and are likely making false assumptions.
That lovely noggin’ of yours is not all knowing. Sorry to break it to you. And it is particularly prone to blind spots and false assumptions when we’re talking about something that is so very close to you, your career.
5. Your fears may be running the show, and often reality is much kinder.
Fear’s job is to shout, LOOK OUT, DANGER!, to signal that you should go hide behind a rock. But hiding behind a rock may be keeping you from living your life. And though modern day career fears may feel like life or death, there’s really a lot of room to stick out your nose and try some things that don’t leave any scar at all.
6. Just because you can’t see a way forward doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
Remember #4, blind spots and false assumptions? Yeah, you may be missing something right in front of your nose. In my years of guiding clients to great career paths there is always a way forward. You just need help seeing it because your current way of looking at things is keeping you stuck.
7. There’s a career path out there for you that will feel so right.
Yup, there is. It is not necessarily going to fall from the sky and land at your feet with no effort on your part. But if you’re willing to seek it out, it’s there. Yes indeed, you can find it.
8. Going through a change is way less scary when you have a roadmap and a guide.
Things are scary because they are unfamiliar. That’s it. So when you add in some familiarity (a roadmap) and some comfort (a guide), what initially feels impossible becomes much, much more doable.
9. There are people who would help you if you let them.
Have you ever heard the expression, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears”? There’s a whole world of people out there who could help you (including my team and I!). But you have to let them in. Otherwise they are literally blocked (by you) from being supportive.
10. You are stronger than you realize.
One of my favorite quotes from my mentor, Martha Beck, is this: “Pursue your dreams not because you’re immune to heartbreak but because your real life, your whole life, is worth getting your heart broken a few thousand times.” You’re strong enough to get through the painful bits. And, in fact, going through challenges is what makes you stronger. Go for your real life, your whole life and learn your true strength along the way.
So, how’d I do? Did I get a few things right about you and your situation?
If you are struggling with answering the question, “What do I want?” in terms of your career and could use another pair of eyes to help you see the possibilities that exist for you, please take a few minutes and submit an application to work within our signature Career Clarity Coaching programs. If approved, I’ll listen carefully to what’s going on and help you to find a path forward. Hope to talk with you soon!
Which of these points resonated the most with you? Leave a comment below!
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