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Are you tired of work? Want to learn a new specialty, but don’t know how to proceed? How to chart a path that will please you? Coach Maria Makarushkina offers a clear plan for independent action.
It’s not just the young who think about who to be. It happens that at the age of 40 and at 50 we get bored at work. We cease to understand what is the meaning of our activities. Not only is the world around us changing, we are also changing. What in the past seemed exciting and promising — or necessary and inevitable — is perceived differently today.
You can come to terms with this and endure internal discord until the very retirement. But there is another way — to find a new job. But first we need to understand what we need. Coach Maria Makarushkina suggests making the process of such reflection clear, step-by-step, structured. And then there is hope that we will get a good result.
STEP 1: Get to know yourself again
We live in a very dynamic world, uncertainty is one of its main characteristics. The most reliable and stable thing we have is ourselves. So let’s start with a self-discovery session.
Build your tree of life
Draw a tree — let it be powerful, with roots and foliage, a trunk and fruits. Now let’s think about each part of it.
Its roots: what is your origin, where are you from, what is the family history? What about your personal history? Where did you spend your childhood and youth?
Its soil: what environment can contribute to your self-realization?
His trunk: what skills and qualities do you value in yourself? What do people around see?
Its branches: what projects, desires, dreams do you have today? Let them be even the most insane.
Its leaves: what kind of people — real or imagined by writers, directors and artists — inspire and support you?
Its fruits: what are your main life achievements and successes? What are you proud of?
Let this tree be a reflection of who you are now and what you want to achieve in the future. Later it can be updated and enriched.
Recognize your skills
The names of many professions are sometimes far from the specific reality and give a poor idea of its essence. Let’s better turn to verbs: “What exactly do I do at my job? What have I done before? What skills have I acquired?
For example, «the ability to analyze information, the ability to listen carefully, writing skills or the ability to predict market trends …». Make a list of all your skills and abilities. Think about which ones you can definitely use in your future professional life.
STEP 2: Explore your new frontiers
What captivates you today is no longer what captivated you 10 years ago. We have new abilities. Strengths have changed. Let’s talk about them.
Request Feedback
Ask three questions to five people in your professional and personal environment:
“In your opinion, what are my strengths?” (Both character traits and skills/skills.)
“How do you feel when you are with me?” (Confidence, enthusiasm … or anxiety, irritation.)
“If you were to ask me for advice, in what area?” The answers will highlight what comes easily to you: talents that are noticeable to others, but remain in your “blind zone” for you.
Find inspiration
Probably everyone at least once thought about changing their profession. But how to find a job that matches not only skills, but also desires? To get an answer, it is necessary, as in a fairy tale, to go through a series of tests. You need to be patient, because if you «plant a seed, then it will certainly germinate over time.»
And again, we will not remember the names of professions. Let’s focus on ourselves, on motivation and values. This time, let’s look for the answer to the question: «What really inspires me?»
Business psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi introduced the concept of “flow” into psychological science: this is an internal state of being carried away by a business in which we forget about everything in the world.
This is how Csikszentmihalyi himself describes the state of flow: “To be fully involved in an activity for its own sake. The «ego» is gone. Time flies. Each action, movement, thought follows from the previous one, as if playing jazz. Your whole being is involved and you use your skills to the limit.”
So, remember ten moments from the past when you were «in the flow.» What happened at these moments? What was your role? What was the true meaning of the activity? What inspired and inspired you then?
Homework
Every day, keep a so-called “flow diary”: write down everything you do during the day, and rate each activity on a scale of -10 to +10, depending on the pleasure and positive energy received.
But what if you find several «streams» at once? How to make the right choice? The answer is simple. Choose the flow in which you most want to be here and now.
STEP 3: Look around
Most of us are afraid to actively move forward into the unknown. After all, it is like a dizzying leap into the void. Is it possible to do without feats, to act slowly, gradually, step by step, preserving the possibility of looking back, looking around and, if necessary, even returning back?
Try it!
Sometimes we think too long before taking action. But the longer the reflections are, the less chance of success remains. Let’s jump straight into action.
Do you dream of a stage career? Then for a month at every holiday, feast, in any company, say toasts, sing and play for friends, entertain colleagues and neighbors. If after that the desire to be on stage persists, then you can seriously plan specific steps.
Or if, for example, you are interested in the now fashionable path of a career coach-consultant, then take a course and then ask yourself: do you really like this job? Are you really ready to do this in the future? Does this work inspire you? What does she give you? What will be the next step? Or was it not all that interesting? Then you need to calmly take a step back and consider for yourself some other way.
What will happen in the worst case?
Fear of leaving the comfort zone, fear of uncertainty, instability, fear of failure … Anxiety, anxiety, unrest prevent you from moving on to action. And the reason for this may not be a lack of will, but a conflict between different parts of our «I».
Identify the main fears associated with changing the scope of activity. Fail? To be without the support of others? Experiencing financial hardship? Unable to adapt to a new team? And ask a friend (trusted loved one, colleague…) to ask you the question: “What can happen in the worst case?”
STAGE: 4 Go!
What will serve as a compass for our journey? Of course, deep motivation! Contrary to well-established beliefs, true motivation does not depend much on external incentives, on rewards or punishments.
Work should correspond to our personal values, promote self-realization, should create conditions for continuous development.
Find the right people to talk to
Having shared plans with loved ones, we often face bewilderment and disappointment. We crave change, the implementation of new ideas and projects — and, of course, we are waiting for support and understanding. But instead, we hear in response doubts about our abilities or the expediency of changes.
The anxiety of loved ones often turns out to be a reflection of our own insecurity, the desire to keep everything as it is, especially when the current state of affairs is not so bad. Why rush into the unknown? Will there be a failure? Such fears shackle the wildest dreams.
And vice versa, how grateful we are to those people who are able to listen, encourage, understand, motivate! If we surround ourselves with sensitive, understanding, developing people, then such communication will allow us to always be ready for changes, never stand still, and confidently maintain positive dynamics.
Pause
Sometimes we panic from terrible thoughts: in order to change our lives, we will have to leave our usual work, it is not known what lies ahead, but will we be able to achieve success in a new field?
We worry and waste nervous energy. But in vain. It is desirable to turn off anxiety, to renounce the hustle and bustle, to find inner peace and harmony. And then we will be in the «stream».
In times of change, taking care of yourself and paying special attention to yourself is very important. The transformation process is primarily a creative process. We cannot accurately determine the ultimate goal, say to ourselves: «In six months I will be in this place.»
We go on a hike, not knowing exactly where we are going, and we will create like artists, meeting different sources of inspiration along the way. And the moment will come when something absolutely new will arise in life, and, of course, beautiful.