REINVENTING YOURSELF & CHANGING YOUR CAREER

 

Do you often find that you constantly jolt yourself out of daydreams where the dream theme is your good self doing a job that you're not doing at the moment? Sure, we are all struck down with work fatigue from time to time, there are so many factors that can come into play – not getting paid enough, awful bosses, not enough holidays, bogged down with too much responsibility, stress and anxiety, feeling underappreciated and undervalued… This list can quite literally run away with itself.

 

It is one thing to air the occasional grievance, have the odd moan, laugh and joke that you're being taken the mickey out of by the powers that be. But if the situation is causing you major turmoil, unrest and distress, affecting your mental and physical health, your surrounding relationships, and you want to get out of bed in the morning as much as you want a giant hole in your head, is it time to consider taking the control back and switching career? We're not just talking about changing job, i.e. going to work for a different company where you will perform the same role, we're talking actual career change.

 

Yes, it's a big almighty scary monster even contemplating doing this. You might have been working there for many years, have your feet planted firmly under the table, have celebrated many career highlights and successes, made firm friends you think more of than your own family, etc. But, on the flip side, has it been equally as damaging? We find that we can become too complacent and our personal and professional growth and development is stagnating as a result. We evolve all the time and are always changing in every way. You may have had your heart set on a particular career from an early age. Ploughed your all into achieving what you set out to do. Studied furiously to get the grades, rehearsed for that interview like crazy, researched the company like nothing before… You knew what you wanted to do and made sure it happened. If this sounds familiar, can you reflect upon what made or steered you down that path? What inspired, motivated and carried you through so much that you were able to reach your destination? More importantly, does that still ring true? Does your career still make you beam so proudly? When you discuss it, does your heart skip a beat because you get that caught up in the excitement? Do you want to be doing this for the rest of your working days? Or, do you yearn for something different?

 

If you fancy a change and a swift about-turn down life's long and windy road, that's perfectly acceptable. We need to thrive and shine and show our potential, it's an innate part of who we are as humans. As we age gracefully – or indeed disgracefully – many things change – our core belief system, passions, morals, etc. Our priorities or circumstances might alter, or we may have a deep craving to turn to something else, to be something else. Some of the reasons why a career change may suit you can include:

 

• You are screaming out for a new challenge – those company mission statements might not float your boat anymore. You may have grown tired and bored at what you do. You are growing and this career is dragging you back.
• You have different values or responsibilities – shifts can occur at every turn which will have an impact on this: you might need to seek better or a more relaxed sense of financial security, or you're braced to brave the world of freelancing or self-employment rather than be shackled to a company you just don't believe in anymore.
• You want to shift focus – you might have family responsibilities and reckon it' time to pull the plug on your career but maybe you fancy doing a little something else on the side, or you've set your sights on seeing the world and need a career that can work around your flexible needs.
• You've always secretly fancied trying your hand at something else and forever promise yourself those two words… 'One day.' When will that day come though? Maybe it's time to bring that into the here and now and act soon to make it a reality. We often find our wistful selves pondering over the what-ifs and the what-could-have-beens. Wouldn't you just want to suck it up and see for yourself? Make new memories and new stories to tell your kids and grandkids? Imagine how inspired they will be when they hear your cool tale.
• You're just not happy anymore. Your whole being is shrinking day by day and you are losing your sense of sense, you're becoming a caricature and you don't know how to haul yourself out of this hell hole.

 

Take the time to think about all of this and have the balls to be honest with yourself, you have to be accountable with the person you see before you in the mirror. Are you ashamed to look at who you are or can you look yourself in the eye and know that you're giving yourself the best possible chances, life, opportunities?

 

There is every chance that you fell into your existing career by accident. Never quite sure what you wanted to do 'when you grew up' has resulted into you fitting snugly into presented comfortable opportunities, and a way to earn your keep. It's never too late. You may have believed your ideal career was beyond you or you wouldn't have the talent/skills/knowledge. Then learn. The wonderful thing about the magical organ we have upstairs – the brain – is that it laps up a thirst for knowledge and skills like crazy, like its life depends on it. We can feed our brain forever and it will continue to adore us and want the best for us. Your dream career might be deep-rooted, buried in your subconscious mind. It just needs to be brought to the surface.

 

Long ago, in a classroom not so far away from you, you might have hankered a dream to become a writer. No chance you said, I can't write. Then you realise that very recently you had to write a blog or a little how-to guide or article on whatever it is you do now… isn't that writing? Isn't that an edge closer to where you wanted to be in life? Opportunities will present themselves. You've been desperate all this time to become a tutor… Oh look, there's a heavily-discounted tutoring course you could very easily do. Open your eyes and if it's meant to be the universe will sure enough work in your favour. It's hard. There's no easy way to shirk the work ahead if you've got your heart set on changing career paths. But hard work is the key to success and just imagine what you could achieve.

So, what do you do? Once you've made that choice to make the leap your heart should be racing and you will stop at nothing to make it happen. You can look at courses, there's so many online and part-time or evening courses about in almost anything. Seek advice from a careers advisor – they can help you at any age – you don't have to be a teenager. You should understand that making the transition will take time and you might have to take some sacrifices. Know that you are entitled to feel the way that you do and you ought to be happy. It's never too late to change career and can happen at any point and age. Have confidence in your ability to make the switch and trust your judgement and your gut instinct. You can do it.

 

Is there any topic you would like me to cover? I'm here to try and educate, inform, reassure and spread a bit of light and love in a world that at times can feel dark and despairing. We all need the positivity and to raise our vibration. There are different ways that you can reach out to me. Follow my page on Facebook, One Life, One Skin. I also have a One, Life, One Skin group you can request to join. I keep my R U OK podcast up-to-date and add regular topics and themes. You can check out my website www.ashleycahill.co.uk which list my treatments and products. Do get in touch. I'm open to hearing your opinions and answering your questions. I love helping people be the person they were born to be.

 

You may be interested that I will be running an online course in health, wellbeing and lifestyle later this year. Do let me know if you're wanting to know more and I can get you signed up to my mailing list.