Making a decision to change your career path takes courage and here at Core Themes, we want to help you become as prepared as possible. The following are some “core concepts” that we emphasize throughout the Core Themes process.
Clutter: A sort of mental noise, a messy chorus of thoughts that consists of rationalizations for staying in an unsatisfying job. We have a lot more to say about the clutter in this post about clutter and other career traps.
Clarity: Being free of the clutter enables you to think and see more clearly the range of career possibilities open to you. It is difficult to navigate your career transition with any degree of accuracy if the way is unclear.
Mindset Change: Too many people are simply stuck in beliefs and notions about their career choices that no longer work for them yet are unwilling to change their thinking. A critical component in developing your CoreThemes is changing your old mindset and the way you think about your life and career in exchange for a more enlightened approach.
Personal Responsibility: There is only one person responsible for your life and the vocation you have chosen. That person is the one you see in the mirror in the morning when you wake up. Don’t blame God, your boss, your parents, your former teachers, your coach, your co-workers or your dog. You and only you are responsible for your work life and what you have achieved. The sooner you accept this notion, the sooner you will begin to make changes that lead to a happier and more productive life and career.
Choice: Whether you want to accept it or not, you are where you are in your career direction because you made many choices along the way. Now it’s time to make better choices about your life and career. After all, once you accept the premise that you have the power within you to choose, you can choose to be happy!
Life is Short: It’s amazing how time goes by so quickly. Now is the time to take charge of your life and career issues. Maybe you’ve found yourself with the same company for the past 22 years when you only meant to stay a few years. Or, you are still dreaming about building your special vacation home on the lake but never seem to get around to it. If you keep postponing things, you may find that one day you just don’t have any more time!
This Place We Call Work: Most of us will spend the better part of our waking moments at a place we call work. Some of us will work 35-45 years before we hang it up. Doesn’t it make sense to do what makes us happy? You owe it to yourself to be relentless in changing the course of your career to be more fulfilling and meaningful to you. Anything less and you are compromising your happiness.
Getting to Know You: The better you know yourself, really know yourself, the better decisions you are able to make in your life and career. The problem is that many people have never deeply examined their true values and beliefs or why they do the things they do every day. They just go along moving from one day to the next, habitually doing the same things over and over and never questioning why? If you are one of these people, then it’s time to do some serious reflection. A career assessment can be the first step in mapping out your career path.
You owe it to yourself to be relentless in finding the kind of work that is fulfilling and meaningful to you. Anything less and you are compromising your happiness.