How I decided to pivot in my career
The thought of grinding away at the same job for the next 20+ years sent me into a panic that wasn’t going away any time soon. There’s a limiting belief that usually squashes my momentum for building my dream career. This time, the desire to move into a place I could feel fulfilled and passionate squashed my limiting beliefs and fears. The script had flipped and I felt fantastic about the turn of events! This time, I thought, I will follow through with my desire to pivot and move toward my passions in life.
What if we could push through the fear and come out on the other side even stronger and more fired up to propel forward with our passions?
Corporate Jobs vs. Entrepreneurship
There are some people who love their corporate careers. I am sure some of my colleagues absolutely love what they are doing. Everyone has a different idea of passion and purpose. When your heart strings are being tugged in a direction you know you should go, and the little voice is telling you to take the leap (and it won’t go away), it’s probably time to take action. I’ve always been more of a free spirit that likes playing by my own rules. Entrepreneurship is scary, but exciting. The freedom to make your own schedule, build your client list and the ability to focus on family when needed without being tied down to an office with fluorescent lights that give you a migraine, now that is a dream that has been brewing for a while.
Climbing Your Own Ladder vs. the Corporate Ladder
I went to graduate school for my MBA, and decided the typical career path of climbing the corporate ladder was not the path I was meant to be on. This conclusion has come to more fruition in recent months as I feel stuck in my situation, and it’s manifesting negative physical side effects, namely, migraine and stress headaches. Kathy Caprino has talked about her corporate career manifesting physical ailment on her health, because of the immense stress and the feeling that she was not doing her life’s work. Kathy is a guiding light in my journey to find purpose and passion in my career. I never realized that the feeling of not being in a place where I could express myself fully could lead to physical symptoms. I try and I try to focus on the positives, but I think I’ve passed the tipping point where I cannot return to a place that I know will ultimately bring me down and not propel my life’s work forward.
For years and years I’ve been searching for something, quite frankly, that I do not think exists in a traditional sense of a corporate career path. It is freedom, passion, purpose, flexibility and the ability to be a world citizen. It is using my god given talents to make a difference in the world, and sharing my hopes, dreams, and fears for transparency so that maybe I can reach one other person who is feeling lost in their career or not feeling fulfilled.
Maybe this type of job does exist- I have yet to stumble across it. But I do know that creating it is my next step. I know there’s a lot of people in the world creating the careers they love, and thriving. Focusing that positive energy on building up a life you love that has meaning and purpose is the key.
Getting in the Right Mindset for a Pivot:
Step 1.
Determine your Passions
What lights you up? What brings you joy? What type of work can you get lost in for hours and not realize time has passed?
Step 2.
Turn your Passion into Purpose
Focus on the things you love doing and figure out how you can do more of them daily. Incorporate your passions into your life, even if for just 15 minutes daily(I’m writing this blog post on my lunch break!)
Step 3.
Knock out the Fears
Banish the limiting beliefs, fears and invisible constraints you have placed on yourself. Kick them to the curb for once and for all. Push through the fear to discover happiness on the other side.
Step 4.
Embrace Your God Given Talents
Realize you are unique and the talents you bring to this world are valued. The type of work that lights you up has enough room for you to join in.
Step 5.
Start Today
It’s never too late to make a Pivot in life. Start your passion out as a side hustle and see where it leads. If you don’t try you’ll never know what you could have achieved.
You have one life, why not spend it doing things you love?
Until next time,
