Ready for Change

Every Thursday, Ask Laura answers a question from readers. Got a question? You can submit it here.

Dear Laura,

I was really excited to start a new job several years ago, but now I’m bored and unstimulated. I have a lot of talents and a lot of interests, and I’m not sure if staying in this job will be the right fit. How do I figure out if I should work with my existing situation or change directions completely? And if I do the latter, how do I figure out what I want to do with my life?

-Stuck

Dear Stuck,

You sound like an interesting person, so what are you doing being bored and unstimulated? This situation definitely needs a change in order to suit you better!

Now, a change, as you point out, might be a change within your existing situation, or a complete change of direction.

I hear you asking “How?” How do I figure it out?

I suggest that before you get to the “how”, you pause and take some time to look at the “what”.

I invite you to spend a few days exploring these “what” questions–you could journal about them, keep them on your mind all day long, talk them over with a friend, make some artwork to express your responses, dance out your answers–whatever works best for you. Put those talents and interests to use!

• What excited me about my job in the past? What has changed?
• What in my life excites me now?
• What can I imagine making me head-to-toe-tingling excited? (The sky is the limit!)
• What works about my existing situation?
• What doesn’t work?
• What other directions am I secretly longing to explore?
• What are all the other options along the A to Z spectrum of “stay with my existing situation” through to “change directions completely”? Might there be some options B, C, D, etc.?

If you can spend some solid time really hanging out with those questions, and being open to explore all the answers that come to you, I think you’ll be further along in getting to the “how”. Let me know how it goes!

Warmly,

Laura

Every Thursday, Ask Laura answers a question from readers. Got a question? You can submit it here. 

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Every Thursday, Ask Laura answers a question from readers. Got a question? You can submit it here.

Dear Laura,

I’ve got a decent job–nothing I hate, nothing I’m stuck in, but it’s not my DREAM job. There are components of what I do that I like but there are dreamier jobs out there. I’m just not sure how to figure out what they are or how to find them.

-Just a Dreamer

Dear Dreamer,

I’m glad you have a decent job. It’s tough economic times, and it can be scary to have a decent job AND imagine that there might be something else out there calling your name. It sounds like you’re standing on a border: not ready to leave your current job, but ready to start exploring what a dream job is.

So let’s enter this Territory of Exploration.

First, take advantage of the fact that you’ve got a decent job that will pay your bills and that isn’t sapping your emotional and mental energy. Use this sweet situation as a launching pad for your Exploration Adventure.

I invite you to explore what a “dreamier job” would be. Before you start scouring job ads, before you start looking for mentors, before you start reading What Colour is Your Parachute (for example), I want you to dream.

Settle back in the most dreamy place you know. (During Toronto winters, I like to do my dreaming at the Allen Gardens Conservatory.)

Let all the logistics, the “what-if”s, the “I-could-never”s take a break.

Send them on vacation for today.

And dream.

Dream about:

• What gifts do I dream of bringing to the world?
• What type of people do I dream of being surrounded by?
• What salary do I dream of making?
• What do I dream of doing everyday?
• What do I dream of doing from time to time?
• What do I dream of feeling?
• What do I dream of being?
• What do I dream will bring me fun and joy?

Once you’ve spent some time dreaming, then–armed with your dreams–you can venture out into fact-finding and data-gathering.

For you, Dreamer, or anyone else playing with a question of dream career or vocation, I know of a lovely little exercise from the book The Courage to Lead. I have a copy of the exercise and will happily send it to you. Just drop me a line.

Dream on.

Warmly,

Laura

Every Thursday, Ask Laura answers a question from readers. Got a question? You can submit it here. 

Like what you’re reading? There’s more where that came from!
I’d love to have you join me by signing up for Ready for Change news. 
Sign up here.