Woman's Info Articles

submitted: Jul 20th 2008 | by: Cindy - Administrator | Total views: 5 | Word Count: 790 | |

By Laurie A. Sheppard

You wake up one morning and don't feel like going to work. It may not even be anything specific that is wrong with your career. It's just that it has become routine and feels somehow insufficient. There's got to be something you can do to improve your interest in it, you tell yourself.

Maybe you have already been there, done that - or so it seems. Only now you have the revelation plus the willingness to make a change before you get to burnout. It's time to flush out what has likely been in the background for a while, with a creative approach. Is there something you could do that will cause a whole new outlook without changing jobs? Something you haven't yet tried? There is.

Take a day off work - a Friday is best because you'll have a full day for these exercises and can have further time to explore and write on the weekend. Don't distract yourself with phone calls, television and conversations. Carve out this time just for you. Here's how to begin:

1. Have a sensory morning - that is, go for a walk somewhere beautiful. (This literally de-clouds your brain, but also clears out stuck thinking and makes room for new perceptions.) Where can you go to take in some delicious sights and smells? What are some of your favorite things to touch and hold? If you don't know, consider a petting zoo, a clothes store with natural fibers, an antique store with masks and kaftans or other handmade artifacts, a furniture store or lumber yard to smell fresh cut wood, or a tree lot.

2. Once there, take it fully in and enjoy it. Don't forget to stop afterwards and buy yourself a lunch that you can linger over the tastes of mixed flavors or even savor a simple cup of coffee, ideally outside with the sun on your face.

3. Return home, pick up your journal or a large notepad and write down some of your feelings from this experience. What was most memorable? How did it make you feel? Now compare those feelings of comfort and enjoyment to any experiences you've had in the last year at work. Any time where you felt soothed, comforted, interested, curious, excited, playful, engaged, happy, helpful, needed and used. Identify other feelings you associate with those experiences where you felt fulfilled.

4. When this writing is over, bring your attention back to something simple. Such as cloud watching for 15 minutes (and doing nothing else!) OR watch a shadow fall gracefully across a wall. These may seem nonsensical if you're inexperienced in simple acts of regeneration, yet they work. This refocuses you for the next three steps.

5. Go back to your paper and write in big letters at the top, "What I want in my career is ________" and don't stop listing these until you've filled up one or two pages.

6. On another paper write, "the only thing that could stop me having what I want is ________". Now do the same non-stop writing until you've written at least a page.

7. Look back at the two lists and determine what your TRUTH is. Do you really want what you think you do? If you really want that strongly, would you let anything stop you? What do you need to do to be sure you can carry it out and not let any thing block you?

A bold, yet easy move is to make a few phone calls to organize a potluck or dinner meeting of at least three supportive friends to run your ideas by. Let them brainstorm with you. This isn't a stuffy event. You can have fun and engage constructive comments about your list. Listen to suggestions without negating them. Let them help you hone in on what's most important for you and how to make it happen.

Not everyone you invite has to be in your industry or even in business. Personal friends may share ideas that will fit well into your organizational change process.

There are plenty of sensory resources to assist you in career planning, such as "Brainwave Symphony," which offers music to trigger your brain to produce the state you want to experience. Alpha music is active relaxation while Theta and Delta music promote deeper relaxation or meditative states. Beta creates heightened focus. This can be a great background for your writing exercise.

Be wary of doing too much research or including too many resources that make the process complicated and prevent you completing it. Oftentimes making changes are well within our capabilities. However, if you're someone who rarely asks for support and figure you can do it on your own - but won't - then be active in using support to assure you move forward!

About the Author

Laurie A. Sheppard is a master certified Life Coach and Career Strategist to mid-level professional women and entrepreneurs who want to make quality career and personal changes. She offers complimentary coaching sessions, giveaways and resources, including her free monthly e-zine, "Change-makers' Career Tips," at http://www.creatingatwill.com Ready to change your life? Contact Laurie today. c. 2007 This article is free to publish in its entirety, with this paragraph included and a courtesy email sent to info@creatingatwill.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurie_A._Sheppard

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