Happy Monday!
One of the things that I like to tell my career coaching clients is "Dream first." This is vitally important to discovering what you were meant to do with your life, what you "want to be when you grow up." And yet – so few people allow themselves the necessary freedom of unrestrained and expansive thinking!
One reason for this may be that we have been trained all our lives to follow orders and rules, and as a result, tend to let process and procedure dictate our behavior. But if we're forever waiting for approval or instructions on what to do next, how are we supposed to think creatively and out of the box? It's no wonder that sometimes when we try to think for ourselves, without a specific process, we can come up empty-handed and/or confused.
Remember that this is your life, your future to shape and mold on your own. No one can take that away from you – not your employer, not your family, and not even society. So if you feel unsatisfied in your current career, are dying to explore new territory, or have a secret wish to do something entirely out of your comfort zone… just go for it! Try it out and see where the experience leads. You only live once and believe it or not there are ways and means around every corner to help you get where you want to be. One of my favorite quotes is “The greatest risk in life is not taking one.” And finding out exactly WHERE that place is, where you want to be, begins in the hollow of your mind where dreams and fantasies take shape.
So, what's your dream? What did you want to do as a child? What's your vision of the perfect career, the kind of job that makes the best use of your talents, skills and strengths? What would be the job for you that "doesn't feel like work" because it's something you're naturally good at and enjoy doing?
Spend some time thinking about those questions this week!
Here's to having a career you love!
Hallie Crawford
Career Planning Coach
