As a career coach, the #1 problem people have in their career or business is they don’t know what to do.
Sometimes they say, “I just have to figure out how to…,” or “I need to decide,” or even, “I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I think I need to…”
All of the above comments really mean they don’t know what to do- they haven’t a clue! (Okay, so that’s not really true. I thought it would be fun to write because it rhymed. #sorrynotsorry)
The truth is they do have a clue but they don’t believe they can act on what they know. Here are a few reasons people don’t act on what they know to be true, aka, why you don’t trust yourself:
- You’re such a people-pleaser you aren’t really sure what you want.
- You want guaranteed results and you won’t act before you know it will work.
- You need to spend 500 hours researching all the possible options before failing to make any decision at all.
- You’re comfortably uncomfortable where you are, and you won’t make a change until change is forced on you.
- You think you aren’t good enough because you haven’t done “x-y-z” yet.
- Your boss/parent/teacher told once you you’re stupid/incompetent/lazy, and you still believe it.
- You need to verify what you know before you act on it.
- You don’t know how to do it, so you fall back on what you do know.
- That’s not how anyone/everyone else does it.
Most of the people who end up talking to me actually do know what they want from their work and life- they just aren’t doing it. That’s where I come in, helping my clients get clarity and focus, confidence and commitment, and customizing a path to help them reach their goals.
But even deciding to work with me is a decision in itself, and sometimes people who want to work with me and know it’s the right choice for them will walk away because they’re afraid to make that choice.
So let’s talk about making better decisions in work and life, without hiring a career coach! (And if you know you do need to hire a career coach, click here.)
Focus on what, not how
A lot of people get hung up when they know what they want to do but they don’t know how to do it. It’s incredible how quickly you can convince yourself what you want isn’t really what you want when you don’t know how to get it.
Let the how come later- you can always get help with this part. Watch your intellectual mind coming and and squashing your ideas before you even have them. What decision do you want to make?
Feel desire
Many people, especially women, are so focused on doing what they’re “supposed” to do or “should” do, they rarely ask the question, “what do I want“?
Ask yourself, “what do I want?” What is your ideal? If you could make a choice without financial or social consideration, what choice would you make? What do you desire?
Also, stop should-ing yourself!
Stop assuming the worst
Are you one of those people who immediately assumes the worst case scenario? If so, stop that, please. Assuming the worst can lead you to another dead end job where you’re frustrated, bored, and underpaid.
Ask yourself, “what’s the BEST that can happen?” A positive outcome is at least as likely as a negative outcome. Go after what you want and you just might get the best case scenario!
Go after what you want, not what you think you can get
A huge mistake made by jobseekers is going after the job they think they can get, rather than the job they actually want. This goes for entrepreneurs, too. Too many entrepreneurs go for the small sale- any sale- just to get a sale when the opportunity may not pay enough or may be unrelated to the type of work or type of client they want.
Pursue what you actually want, not what you think you can get. Don’t choose the easy way out.
Act as if
Impostor Syndrome is real, and too many people make the less ambitious career choice because they think they aren’t good enough. Not smart enough, not qualified enough, not talented enough.
If you experience Impostor Syndrome, you’re not alone. It’s estimated over 70% of the population has experienced it, too. When you think you’re not good enough, you’re probably wrong.
Act as if you are good enough, even when you have self-doubt. Make the decision that supports your dreams and goals.
Trust yourself
You’re smarter than you know, and those smarts aren’t limited to what you think. Your intuition, your “gut feeling”, may be a lot smarter than your logical brain.
Start developing your intuition- notice when you have gut instincts and trust them.
When making a decision about your work or life, go for a walk or take 3 deep breaths before considering your options. Watch your logical mind taking over and be with the decision in your body. Trust yourself.
Dream big
If you’re not thinking big, you’re not going to get a big result. When you dream big you encourage creativity, innovation, and inspiration! Make the big, bold choice and know that you’ll still be ahead if you achieve a small percentage of your goal.
For example, my first book will be released in May 2019. My goal is to sell 50,000 copies in the first 3 months. That’s a crazy, pie in the sky goal- especially for a debut author, but dreaming big means I’ll make publishing and marketing decisions that will greatly increase my chances of selling a lot more copies than the average debut author.
The TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) version of making better decisions in work and life is to know what you want, and go after it! Your future is at stake. Don’t make the “safe” choice when you can make a choice that actually makes you happy. After all, no one else is lining up to make you happy- that’s your job.
And if after reading this entire blog post you’re still confused or unclear about your next career or business move, download the 8-step plan to Get Unstuck and Discover Your Next Career Move!