Recently I was speaking with a fellow coaching colleague. I was sharing with her my transition from my life of being an employee in corporate America to gaining my coaching certification and starting my own business. We were speaking about how when you begin your own business you are a magnet for all those who look to help you get your business off the ground and promise to help provide you the secrets of making it profitable as soon as possible.
Recently I was speaking with a fellow coaching colleague. I was sharing with her my transition from my life of being an employee in corporate America to gaining my coaching certification and starting my own business. We were speaking about how when you begin your own business you are a magnet for all those who look to help you get your business off the ground and promise to help provide you the secrets of making it profitable as soon as possible. While much of what you are provided is sound advice, it often comes at you way too fast. Additionally, if you have changed professions or work environments, you find yourself in the process of continuing to gain confidence in yourself in this brave new world that you have entered.
As I was driving home from our conversation, I thought about how far I had come in three years. I find myself far more comfortable in being a connector for other small business owners. When presenting what I do to potential clients, I don’t have that feeling that I’m selling what I am able to offer. I’m far more selective in the offers made personally to me that I want to follow and those that I know I can bypass at the present time. I feel far more like the person I know I have been my adult life and especially like the person I was when I worked in my corporate position. There I had been a part of my department, company and the process for so long, that it was rare that anything could throw me. I knew even in troublesome situations, working with my staff we would find the right solution to a problem. It felt good again to be comfortable on my own two feet.
While you don’t always realize it at the time, (I know for sure I didn’t), even though you may believe you are the same person when facing a new experience in your life, it takes time to acknowledge what your true self believes is right in your new situation. The job searchers who work with me are often apologetic about not knowing exactly what they want or how to go about the process of determining what they want in a career. However, I quickly make it clear to them that uncertainty for those in search is very common. That is why we usually start by assessing what activities it is that the person working with me has enjoyed doing in their life, what they received a sense of accomplishment from and how that translates in skills that are seemingly always present when they have produced those accomplishments. I’ll encourage them to take time to research what options may appeal to them in a next career. I’ll explain that research takes both the form of exploration in books, magazines and the internet, but also involves having interviews and conversations with those working in the field which may appeal to them. I’ve seen this approach slowly but surely help job seekers gain that comfort to continue to pursue their goals as they identify what they will choose to pursue as they move to their next career position.
If you are going through a transition in your life of any sort, seem confused about what is going on around you and feel uncertain if the moves you are choosing to make are right, realize you are not alone. In some respect or another we all go through this process. It may involve certain aspects of our life and not others, it may last for a quick period of time or gradually fade away, but gaining comfort on your own two feet is a process. What is the answer to it? For some it may be working with a trusted accountability partner. For others, it may just take an evolution over time to realize what it is they want to do and what they would prefer not doing. And for still others, it may mean taking one path, realizing it is completely not what they want to do and starting all over again. Even those trained in helping others work through transitions (such as coaches), do go through these feelings. There does come a day when you do begin to realize you are back to the person you normally are, working through issues using the methods that work best for you and finding that you are not only able to stand on your own two feet but also able to be that accountability partner for those in your life around you.
It's Counter Intuitive
Often times people take steps that are counter-intuitive to what their end result is. Sometimes this can yield better results than taking every opening available. It is challenging, but once you figure out how to do it this process will help your job search.
Are You Ready To Take the “Learn One New Thing a Day” Challenge?
Research has showed that those who excel in their job searches are people who are continuous learners. We can learn what works for us, and we can learn to disregard the rest.
Trying a New Perspective
Gaining a new perspective on things can drastically change your outlook on life. It can be challenging to grasp the idea of flipping your perspective at first, but once you're able to do it life becomes much easier to enjoy.
