This is the reason why it is so hard to change your career!
To be honest, I have been there myself, and it was probably the hardest and the most rewarding journey in my career!
Have you been wondering why is it so hard to change your career? Why do some of us in spite of being fully aware that we are not in the right place professionally, still stick to a career that doesn’t bring any sense of fulfillment and joy? Why in spite of dreading Mondays, feeling unsatisfied, bored, and trapped in the same “hamster wheel” we still deny and hide that flashing desire to change something about our professional lives?
Frankly speaking, it is not the shift itself that is so hard to bring to life, but the decision that leads to it.
Historically by nature, we as humans tend to avoid change by all means. And oftentimes we would rather stay in the “comfort” zone (which is nothing but uncomfortable) than take a decision to turn our habitual environment and behavior around for a very bright but not so solid promise of feeling happier and more fulfilled one day. Most of the time this imaginary happier future is not convincing enough for us to fight the fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, and all the what-ifs that come to mind.
So let’s focus on what really holds us back:
Fear of the unknown.
It is undoubtedly easier to follow the predictable path: you have your job, your status, your skillset, your paycheck, you know what to expect in almost every stressful and hard situation, you know how to celebrate your victories. And the mere thought of dropping it all not knowing what to expect is certainly scary. You simply don’t know what this change will bring. And the questions come to mind:
Will I succeed? Will I be able to reach the same financial level? How fast? Is it really for me? Will I really enjoy the new career I have been secretly dreaming about? Am I just being spoiled? Or simply “I really don’t know what IS my professional calling in the end”.
The good news is that although it is impossible to know what is coming and there are no precise answers to those questions, with the right help, tools, and exploration you can come to terms with the fact that the unknown can be in turn exciting and aspirational.
Fear of failure.
We have all been there. Think of how many times you were so scared of failing that you decided to not even try? The fear of failure is indeed immobilizing. Self-sabotaging, procrastinating, and perfectionism are all the brightest shades of it.
But think for a second about all the possibilities that can come your way if you were not afraid?
Fear of failure is attributed to the most primitive and the oldest part of our brain called the “reptilian brain”. We have developed it millions of years ago and this is the part of the brain that is responsible for survival. If anything is unknown, unpredictable, or scary the reptilian brain is the one that comes forward to prevent us from going into “danger”. Although this part of our brain certainly should not be underestimated, we are no longer living in caves with wild animal attacks on a daily basis.
Therefore, when the fear of failure kicks in (and it will no matter what) try to rationalize that fear, try to think in terms of facts (as opposed to assumptions and the “what-ifs”), and focus on the choices you have and the opportunities that are ahead of you.
Social pressure and expectations.
We are all brought up in a certain way and our minds are filled with certain “goods” and “bads” as well as the rules of how the society works, and what our role and place in it should be.
We normally have a very rigid understanding of what success should look like, what are the “right” and prestigious professions to follow, and how to get on a successful career path.
Given the speed at how society, technology, and the world is changing in the last 30 years, there should really be no room left for the “rules” and the “shoulds”.
And although the social pressure and our desire to keep up with the social expectations are very real, we all should very clearly understand that the only people whose expectations we need to live up to are we ourselves. This leads us to the next part:
Lack of self-awareness.
It’s drastically hard to “live up to our own expectations” when we don’t know who we are and what is that we really want. It is nearly impossible to feel fulfilled professionally and personally without the understanding of our major drivers, motivators, strengths, weaknesses, values, and their applications.
Without self-awareness, the understanding of one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and their applications, one lives in the darkness, especially when the world is changing the way it is right now. It is like walking along with the unknown territories without a map and a compass – we simply purposelessly wander around with a strong feeling of frustration. Without it, we live in the darkness and we are swimming against the tide. On the other hand, when we are in line with our inner drives, abilities, strengths and are aware of what really fulfills us, that’s when the work becomes a “hobby’.
There is this great quote that sums it all up: “Choose the job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”.
Have a look at our REINVENT YOUR CAREER program and see how we can help you in this hard but exciting journey!
