Your present course
is not moving you forward
Once upon a time, it seemed that you knew what you wanted to
do and that following that path would accomplish your life goals. Go to school.
Get good grades. Get a good job with benefits. That is the lesson that I was
taught and as far as I know that is still the message that is out there. It
didn’t work for me and each day takes us farther from the time when it was good
advice. Nowadays, a job provides no security and the idea that you can become
invaluable to an employer and secure your future is history. Being an employee
puts your future and the future of your family at risk. So now, you are looking
at alternative plans to secure your future.
Your needs or
objectives have changed
Maybe your career plans are working like you expected. You
have achieved the income level you wanted and feel relatively secure that your
job will continue in the future. Then something happens that changes the entire
equation. Maybe it’s another child. Maybe it’s a sick and aging parent. Maybe
it’s a medical crisis. Or maybe you just decide that what you are earning right
now is not enough – whatever the reason.
Now, all of a sudden, work seems different. It’s a trap
because you are not in control. You can’t determine how much money you make, or
what hours you work or when you can take time off. You need to change how you
earn money but your job is inflexible.
You need a new vision
for your life
Somehow, what you have accomplished with your job, your family
and your community seems empty. You had always believed that you would feel
fulfilled when you accomplished your current position. And maybe that was true
for a time but now you want to feel that your life has meaning- that you are
making it a better place. You want to help people either by contributing your
time or money to accomplish big things. What possibilities are there? Who can
help you learn what is possible and how to get there?
Shift in thinking
It is time for a shift in thinking. Maybe you know how to
make that shift or where to find resources and help, but maybe you don’t. And
so you are looking. Since what you are doing now is not working don’t continue.
As Albert
Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we
used when we created them.”
Thinking bigger
There are many ways to go about changing your thinking.
Maybe you are thinking too small and limiting yourself to the ordinary. Open
your mind to all the possibilities and free yourself from self-imposed constraints
on what is possible.
A good place to start is The Magic of Thinking Big by Dr. David
Schwartz.
Thinking smarter
Another way is to learn more and improve your skills. Maybe
a higher level of proficiency is what you need to move ahead. This goes to the
specifics of your activity. It could be blogging or social networking or
attraction marketing. It could be something completely different. Focus on your
area of specialization and seek out sources of information that can improve
your skill. Then put it into play.
Finding your own
needs instead of adopting others
Another thinking problem that can handicap progress is
setting a target defined by someone else. If your current destination doesn’t
fire you up, find one that will. Spend some time relaxing and opening your
mind, particularly noticing things that excite you. Think about your life and
what you have done that made you feel really satisfied with living. Use them as
the starting place to identify new possibilities or awaken old ones that your
have forgotten. Don’t stop until you know what you really want.
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