|
You've
already made up your mind that there has to be more to life
than careers, cubicles, and commuting. Yet, the prospect of
making a major life change when you're already feeling caught
between a "clock and a hard place," feels overwhelming.
On
the off-chance you don't win the lottery, your great aunt
doesn't leave you a fortune, or the Publishers Clearing House
prize van doesn't surprise you as you're getting out of the
shower, there's only one thing that's going to help you realize
your dream of more rewarding work - YOU.
Here
are five steps even the busiest person seeking a major work
and life change can take to get the process rolling:
1.
Turn griping time into planning time. How much time do
you spend complaining about your high-stress job? Instead
of dwelling on what's wrong with the current picture, use
your limited time to mentally map out a new one. Visualization
is most effective with your eyes closed. But, if you're really
crunched for time, existing day-dream moments - while showering,
commuting, waiting at the photocopier, and so on - will suffice.
Devoting five minutes a day to imagining your ideal work/life
and making a plan to get there will move you far closer to
your goal than fifty minutes spent complaining about unrealistic
deadlines or a difficult coworker. And, you'll also tap into
a great source of energy you can draw on when you are ready
to act.
2.
Keep your goal front and center. First, set a target date
for when you want your "new life" to begin. Then
write it on the calendar. Besides being a great source of
motivation, knowing how much time you have until "D-Day"
lets you create a realistic plan for hitting it. Next, find
creative ways to keep your dream literally, in your face.
A computer analyst who wants to someday open a catering business
reinforced her goal by programming her computer's screen saver
to read, "cater to your dreams and they will come true."
She also chose as her e-mail password "Nov99," her
projected departure date. As you come across images or quotes
that reflect your dream, place them around your workspace,
in your daily planner, on the refrigerator - any place you're
sure to regularly "see" your destination.
3.
Buy with an eye to the future. If your dream is to escape
the professional scene altogether, you probably won't need
all those business suits overrunning your closet. Resolve
now to make do with the work wardrobe you already have. When
you do take the leap, you can donate your business attire
to an organization like Dress for Success that assists people
just entering the job market. Spend the money you've saved
instead on things you'll need for your new career or venture
- classes, buying or upgrading a home office computer, equipment,
inventory, and so on.
4.
Avoid the nay-seers. Other people's skepticism, like the
flu, tends to be contagious. And, unless you've built up your
immune system, these dream killers can knock you for a loop.
A few years ago I shared with a coworker my own dream of a
lifestyle where I could spend the spring and fall in the beautiful
hills of Western Massachusetts, summers by the ocean on Cape
Cod, and winters on a tropical island. "Yeah, right,"
she quipped, "how old will you be when that happens?"
I, 40 at the time, estimated with some confidence that I'd
be 43 or 44. My coworker laughed nervously, not quite sure
whether to believe me or feel sorry for me. I knew she'd settled
on pity when she patted me on the back and said, "dream
on." I never spoke to her of my dream again. A year and
half later, I left my full-time job.
The
very next day I left for a month long stay on the Cape where
I relaxed and worked on my new and - portable venture - a
newsletter. I haven't entirely reached my four-season goal,
but then again, I'm only 42!
5.
Do what you can - but DO SOMETHING. As one Chinese proverb
reminds us, moving a mountain begins by lifting one stone.
To keep from being overwhelmed - yet still make headway -
break your larger goal down into more manageable steps. Then,
no matter how hectic your day, pledge to take at least action.
Even if all you can handle on a given day is to jot down one
new idea, read a single page, or make one phone call - you've
still made progress. But that's not all. You're also generating
the enthusiasm and momentum to take another step and another.
And, before you know it, what was once the stuff of dreams,
you will have made your reality.
==================
George
Elliot once said, "It's never too late to be what you
might have been." Which is why former corporate cubicle-dweller
Valerie Young got off the fast track to become the Dreamer-in-Residence
at www.changingcourse.com.
Changing course offers inspiration and information to help
you find your life mission and live it. Barbara Sher, best-selling
author of I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was calls
Changing Course "wonderful, inspired and informative."
|
