Career change can lead you to your dream job

JOHN DEMARTINI O YOU feel unfulfilled in your job? Are you daydreaming about a career you’d rather be doing? Do you dread Mondays?

The honest answer to these questions might lead you to the conclusion that you are in the middle of a mid-career crisis, and it may be time for a change.

Staying in an unfulfilling job until you retire may not be the wisest path. Retirement from an unfulfilling job is a man-made social projection, and the value of spending your life doing what you love and loving what you do is priceless.

Many believe that youth is a “heavenly” time of optimism and energy before the “hellish” decline into old age and death. That’s true only if you make it so.

This retirement myth has little to do with the reality of life and human potential. I know many people in their seventies, eighties and nineties who are doing what they love, loving what they do and going strong. Chronological age is not the only determining factor.

Here are some steps to making the most of a midcareer crisis:

DWhile it sometimes takes a crisis for us to make a change, a good indication that you are no longer fulfilled in your job is a lack of energy and enthusiasm.

When the pain of desperation overrides the pain of action, you’ll move into your new career.

The quality of your life is based on the quality of the questions you ask yourself. Think about what you would truly love to do as a career and ask yourself what your most inspiring job would look like. Take the time to read, research and study. Look for mentors and people in your desired profession or skill area and speak to them.

Once you have evaluated your options, set out a plan and give yourself permission to create your own business if that is your wish. Some entrepreneurs began their inspiring careers in their sixties or even later.

As an alternative to a completely new career path, it might pay to simply make a few changes to the role you have and/or look within the organisation you are in to see where you believe you are able to serve the most and what serves you the most – at least temporarily.

While you are envisioning, planning and gradually initiating your new career pathway, it’s wise to link how your job is helping you step into your new career and how it offers you the necessary skills, contacts, insights and opportunities along the way.

You are never too old or too entrenched in any given profession to make a change. Focus on the experience you’ve gained and the skills acquired rather than possible excuses for not moving forward. Ask yourself: • What would I love to do in life? The question helps bring clearly into your conscious mind one of your heartfelt and meaningful dreams or objectives.

• How do I get paid to do it? The question helps you make your vacation your vocation. Why not get financially rewarded for doing what you love?

• What could I put in place today that would enable me to do it?

The question helps you organise your actions.

• What obstacles might I run into and how do I solve them in advance? The questions will help you act rather than react.

• What worked and what didn’t work in my search for employment? This will help you refine your actions and keep them a priority.

• How do I do what I would love more effectively and efficiently?

• How did whatever I experienced today serve me? The question helps you realise that all great endeavours come with supportive and challenging consequences that act as feedback.