Signs You’re Ready to Change Careers
Think you're ready for a career change but aren't quite sure? These signs will help you sort it out.
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When was the last time you changed jobs? Do you think it’s time to make a shift into a new career path? Or... what if all you really need is a break?
There’s really no way of telling for sure if the time has come. There’s no guidebook on this. But there are signs you can watch out for.
Self-care in business plays a vital role in recognizing the signs that you’re ready to change careers. Self-care is something we often put in the back-burner - sometimes by choice, sometimes because our job forces us to. Regardless of the main reason, slowing down to really pay attention to your internal landscape can greatly help in knowing whether or not it’s time to make the shift.
Signs You’re Ready For A Career Change
If you’re feeling hungry for something new
Do you find yourself always looking for a new challenge? Is your current job is not challenging enough?
If this is the case then perhaps it’s time for a shift. Every so often we find ourselves looking for a challenging experience. Perhaps it’s time to follow your passion. Perhaps your passion is the ‘something new’ you’re looking for but haven't yet put into words. Or maybe it’s time to take a huge but calculated risk to test your potential.
It is human nature to be scared, but it’s also human nature to seek growth.
Your current career doesn't feel honest anymore
If you’ve been doing the same old job for years now, over and over, the same set of tasks, same boss and same colleagues, it’s difficult to know whether or not it still feels honest. It’s difficult to know whether or not it still feels true to you. If that's the case, we suggest you give yourself some time to think and reflect.
Scrutinize, and be honest with yourself. Who were you when you started? How have you changed? Are you that person anymore?
Be open to whatever you discover.
If it just doesn’t feel right
Our body has a way of telling us things. When something doesn't feel right, we become uneasy. We get that weird feeling in the pit of our stomach. A feeling that goes on and off. If you start paying close attention, it will be easier to spot this sign.
Changing careers is a decision you don't have to make overnight. Choosing to stay or to make a shift usually requires deep thinking. And if your body is telling to do deep thinking, don't ingore those signs!
You experience a sense of dread
The feeling of constant dread is one of the strongest signs you’re ready to change careers. If you notice yourself continuously feeling unmotivated when you wake up, if you have to drag yourself out of bed every single morning, that is one sign you shouldn’t just shrug off.
Readiness to make major changes in life doesn't always involve excitement. It also involves scary feelings. Scary but necessary because if it scares you, chances are it will change you. For good. Which is to say, it will give you the chance to grow.
So if you find yourself dreading every morning, every trip to the office, every working day, perhaps it’s time to think about the importance of self-care in business. Perhaps it’s time to think about how you'd like to feel every morning instead.
If you’re feeling jealous of what others are doing
Jealousy is often considered a negative feeling, but really it's just information. In this case, it’s actually among the positive indicators that you’re ready to change careers.
Being jealous, per se, doesn't feel great. If you notice yourself envying other people’s lives, their freedom, their relationship with their friends and colleagues, this could be your inner self telling you you’re actually unhappy. If you're feeling jealous of what others are doing, maybe it’s time to follow your passion. Maybe it’s the strong career change sign you’ve been waiting for.
How to Change Careers
Start looking around for what sparks inspiration
So, what do you do once you’ve established that you’re ready to change careers? Start by looking around. Notice what sparks inspiration. Pay attention to the mundane and the small things in everyday life, signs you might otherwise ignore.
There’s no way of knowing when and where inspiration will strike, so notice everything around you. Linger on what inspires you and start from there. Begin your exploration in that place.
Learn from those who inspire you
Self-care is not just about you "working on yourself". It’s also connecting with others. Allowing yourself to be seen.
Open yourself to learning from other people. The more you surround yourself with people who inspire you, the easier it will be for you to build your desired future. After all, you're the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with! (or so says Social Contagion Theory)
Be part of a community that shares your passion
Think Facebook groups are overrated? Maybe, maybe not.
While some groups are full of junk, there are other groups that lift us up. Groups that are full of people who inspire and encourage one another. This is the kind of community you want to be part of. It's the kind of community we've built here at Lumia Coaching.
Find your people and dive in! Contribute to the community, learn, and ask questions. Sometimes, all we need is a strong support system to help us kickstart our new direction.
Want to Join Us?
One of our values at Lumia is that we dare to be different. Our life coaches ignore the expectations society tries to impose on them, and seek to live from their own truth instead. If you are ready to step into your power and you’d like a partner in the process, come check out Lumia Life Coach Training. Grounded in science, our ICF accredited program features authentic instructors, a robust curriculum, and business instruction to prepare you for liftoff.
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