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You know what, you’re not alone...
You are not alone when you think, "is it normal that I am no longer motivated by my job?”. You are not alone when you feel that the career you chose right after high school no longer brings you that fulfillment that it once did.
What you chose ten years ago might not resonate with you anymore. Why? Because you are not the same person! You learned (a lot) through those professional years. You learn what part of that job or career that really sparks you with joy and which part that makes you cringe just to think about it. You gathered knowledge and developed new skills and maybe now there is a part of you that want to explore those strengths even more.
Before, like you know when my mom graduated high school (sorry mom), it was the norm to find a job and stay in that job until you had the chance to retire. It was the goal! You were the lucky one if you were able to land that permanent job with a guaranteed retirement fund. But times have changed and so did you. Now, you might be motivated by finding a career you love, finding that balance between your professional and your personal life or having a job that allows you to be flexible so it gives you time to get home early and make dinner before that soccer practice.
Now, we see people having up to two different careers in a professional lifetime and even change job every five years. Why? Because they want to continue to grow as a professional. Please don’t stay in your job just because you have a retirement fund. If you still like it, great! But if you don’t, it’s OK to make a change. It won’t feel comfortable at first, trust me. But in the end, if you choose what makes you happy, makes you feel fulfilled and bring you the revenue that you need (because let’s face it, you need it), you will be fine.
But how do you even start?
Are you really ready?
First evaluate your readiness to make a change. Are you ready to commit and do the work? Making a change is not an easy thing do to and there is a lot to consider. There is also a difference between having frustrations toward your job and wanting to make a career change. It is important to evaluate if you want to make a change at work to make it better (you know that task you really hate, can you get rid of if?) or if you want a new challenge.
What do you want to do?
When you feel that you are ready to take the plunge, then clarify what you want to do. What type of job or career are you looking for? Do you want to grow within the same company or change your career completely? We suggest that you make a list of tasks you love to do and a list of the things you must have in your next job. And you know those skills and strengths you develop throughout those years, make a list of those too and see if they can guide you toward a potential career. Feels overwhelming? It can be. If you don’t know where to start, try to speak with someone who can help you make sense out of everything and that will be able to guide you through all the steps.
How do you get there?
Once you’ve determined what you want to do, it’s time to figure out what you have to do to get there. Do you have to take additional training? Are there any skills you may be lacking? Figure out what is missing and then take the necessary steps to close that gap.
Make a plan
Finally, put all that information into a plan. Having a written plan will help you to stay focus and will get you a step closer to your goal. As they say, a goal without a plan is a dream. If you want your dream job to come true, you now know what you have to do!
And remember, you are not alone. You got this!
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