Lately, I have had a lot of conversations with people that are in transition. These are people who are either looking to transition from their current full time role into a new job or create a new business, or are also people who have been laid off by huge companies and are trying to reinvent themselves in their career. Maybe you can relate.
What's interesting about the people I have met is that many of them are working in their current position beyond the traditional 9 to 5 schedule. Nowadays, it is the expectation amongst employers that we will be there on our nights and weekends, ready and on call for any little problem that arises. Even the people I have met who have recently been laid off are working around the clock trying to find a new way to make ends meet. Every day, we fall into the cycle of overworking ourselves in positions or situations that we never even wanted to begin with. How do we find the time to get out of the job we accepted just because we needed to escape the financial hole we were in? How do we break the pattern of working all the time so that we can build the career we truly want for ourselves?
The obvious answer I hear a lot is time management, however, I think there is more to the story. I think a lot of people out there really do know how to manage their time. I think that if all you needed to do was create more time in your day, you could. What stops so many of us from creating the time we need to create the career we want is the underlying fear that we are being selfish. We can be so afraid that spending that time on ourselves is selfish when we have families and day jobs that need our attention. How do you make that time commitment to transitioning to a more fulfilling career without feeling frivolous or selfish?
One of the main things that I recommend to people who are trying to make a pivot in their career while they allocate a lot of time to their current role is to think about the value that you bring to the table and to think about the importance of this career transition in your life. Think: If you do not make this career change, what will happen and how will you feel? If you do make this change, how will you feel then? What does this career change mean to you?
I met a woman recently who was so in love with the work she does that she wants to work in her position at her organization for the rest of her life. Her career is focused on a spiritually driven purpose that she discovered within herself. Imagine how devastated she would feel had she not taken the time for herself to find it. It is important not only to think about the value you can give to society when your work truly aligns with your purpose, but also to think about the consequences of you not making that move forward. When you are in touch with your value and the potential you have, you reinvigorate a sense of motivation.
Remembering your value helps you realize why you as a human being on this planet are worthy of taking even just ten minutes a day for your goals. Create some time for your job search or your business each day - whether it is ten minutes or an hour - and the value you will see in yourself will grow. The more the value you place on yourself grows, the more you will feel worthy of using that extra time for your future. That way, if anyone tries to call you out on taking a little time for yourself, you can confidently look the in the eye and say, “It’s only a few minutes and I am doing the world a favor by pursuing my calling and helping others with my heart centered action.” The talents you have to share with the world are valuable to everyone, so use them wisely.
If you struggle with seeing the value in taking time for yourself, I am going to be giving a free online training called, “Work/Life Balance: How to Enjoy Life Without Sacrificing Progress at Work” on November 19th at 7PM ET. During this training, I will be giving you tools you need to remedy burnout and hit your personal and professional goals in the next year. Sign up here!