Getting and Keeping Going!
“If you want to be truly successful, invest in yourself to get the knoweldge you need to find your unique factor. When you find it and focus on it and persevere your success will blossom.” ~ Sidney Madwed
The task of finding or changing work can seem like a long and dauntless task. The incentive to start flares up and then seems to die and fade just like a fire that has had fuel thrown on it. A career transition is not a sprint, it is an endurance run. I have clients come to me excited about making changes, full of anticipation about possibilities and ready to use their energy for transition. However, after a few months of personal excavation, constant expense of vigor to network and research, and overcoming various frustrations, some clients fall on the wayside and want to give up the process.
No one can predict how long a career transition will take, but there are a few factors which can be viewed beforehand so you don’t get disappointed from expectations that are not realisitic. One of the first things to look at is your particular perspective on time. Time is a morphing, almost unidentifiable thing that seemingly changes depending on the circumstances surrounding it.
As an example, have you ever been so immersed in a project that when you eventually break, you are shocked at how much time has passed? Your inner clock thought that only an hour or so was used, but you find that several hours have passed. Conversely, have you ever sat and waited for an overdue phone call from a loved one while wondering if they are safe or okay? Those same few hours seem endless and moments drag on with a vengeance.
In either of these occassions, time itself is still ticking off at 60 seconds per minute. The only difference is where you are focused during the episode. When you were immersed in your project, you were in the flow, enjoying the process, and totally in tuned with what you were doing. Athletes refer to this as being in “the zone,” where your very being is in tune with your performance.
In the second scenario, where you are waiting for a call and time drags, your concerns are causing your body to build tension, your thoughts are scattered to many possible outcomes, and impatience keeps part of you focused on time. This stressful incident causes your perspective of time to slow to a snail’s pace.
How does this relate to making a career transition? Well, it relates depending upon where your focus lies. When it seems that things are moving slowly and you are not seeing results for your efforts, you are focusing on your outcomes and not on the process. I encourage my clients to keep a journal of the process. When they come to the point in their journey where the initial rush of excitement slows, then they can refer to this journal for evidence of all they have gained in the process. Any major transition in life must start by learning more about ourselves and then this knowledge can be transferred into the transitional development. The shift comes from within first and then may be expressed outwardly.
If you feel bogged down, take some time to reflect on how far you have come. Do not make judgement on this as to whether you “should” be further along in your journey or if you think you are not moving fast enough. Just notice and acknowledge your progress, what you have learned and how this process has provided new insights for you. Now, look back to how you felt at the beginning of this path. Were you anxious, angry, fearful? Have you worked through some of these feelings and gained strength? Giving yourself credit will enable you to look forward and take more steps. With each step you will be a little bit closer to your goals and every step brings you more into alignment with your authentic self realization. Congratulations!
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Lesley V. Ingves
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