Shift Your Perspective and Change Your Life

So much of life is perspective. We can view the same situation from many different lenses.
So often, many people are doing work they no longer like by the time they decide to transition careers. The reality of needing money to pay the rent/mortgage, buy food, and pay bills compels most to keep working in their current situation, until they create clarity regarding their career purpose and next job.

I like to create small goals based on how my clients feel throughout the transition process. I want my clients to enjoy their journey of transition and change. I want them to relish in the baby steps of change rather than holding their breath until the final destination is reached.

Imagine going on a long car ride across the country. If you only focused on your final destination, you might miss all the beauty outside your window. You might miss that beautiful song on the radio, if you are with people, you might miss rich, intriguing conversation. All of life is a choice, and that includes where we put our attention and how we choose to view it.

If you are currently in a career transition and really disliking your current work, I invite you to try out this brief exercise to change your perspective to one that makes you feel good. It will help you embrace the moment with ease and grace.

Begin by taking a breath. You might take a few moments getting into your body with movement or meditation. Then grab your journal and do some free writing to get your thoughts out of your head. Start out with your frustrations and complaints. Next, focus on what you want for yourself. What is missing and what do you wish to create? From that list of what is missing, consider one small thing you can work on today. Commit to doing that one thing. Once you add what is missing, make a plan for your day to day work. Do a little more journaling on these questions:

What is hard about your current work?
What can you be grateful about your current work/career?
What do you most need throughout your day to make it easier or more tolerable?

You can look at your current work as something you do one day at a time. You can add pleasure to your day by going for short walk or keeping a food treat you enjoy at your desk. You can also detach from the work. What I mean is many of the clients I work with are hard workers and have been their entire lives; They don’t know how to not do a good job. Let yourself off the hook. Let yourself be mediocre rather than outstanding. The energy you keep from doing a mediocre job in your current work can go toward clarifying your purpose and finding new work. Remember, your current work is temporary. Allow yourself to feel GOOD during your transition. Let yourself feel INSPIRED toward your purpose work. You deserve it.