CAREER CHANGEwith Joanna Penn
Author, Speaker & Entrepreneur
@ thecreativepenn
Stop hating your job, discover what you really want to do with
your life and start doing it- Joanna Penn
DO YOU HATE YOUR JOB?
Identify the problem
Do you feel as if you’ve been doing something you don’t like for far too long?
What is your working situation right now?
What are the particular problems you want to address?
“Americans hate their jobs more than ever before in the past 20 years, with fewer than half saying they are satisfied.
The trend is strongest among workers under the age of 25, with less than 39% satisfied with their jobs.
Overall, dissatisfaction has spread among all workers, regardless of age, income or residence.”
Source: Live Science
Workplace stress
We manifest our stress in our bodies. It can’t be compartmentalized
Do you have physical symptoms that might be related to stress?
Stress buffer
Finding positive ways to manage stress will provide a protective buffer so you can cope with stressful situations
No one is going to change this for you so you need to find ways to deal with it
Assess why you are stressed
Use time management techniques
Take ownership
of the cause of stress
Develop your self
efficacy in work
situations
Eat well and exercise
Get some social
supportRelaxation
The top 5 regrets of the dying
I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
I wish I hadn’t worked so hard I wish I’d had the courage to express my
feelings I wish I had stayed in contact with my
friends I wish that I’d let myself be happier
- From nurse, Bronnie Ware’s book
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION
Your work life is a choice
Happiness is also a choice
It’s not too late to change direction
Develop yourself
Is your work challenging for you?
If not, analyze why not?
People perform well when given a challenge
Turn off the TV and read
Take some internet courses
Take an evening class
Won’t this be exhausting?
This might sound exhausting to add to your current job but…
You can survive in your current job by keeping your mind and soul alive through learning
It needs determination and motivation when you are exhausted
Record everything you do as an achievement and you will see the effects over time
“ You are the same today as you’ll be in five years except for two things: the books you read
and the people you meet.”
- Charlie James
Being valued and appreciated
Work is generally not about survival anymore
Once basic needs are fulfilled, work must ideally be about something more than that
People want opportunity to develop and grow, and something other than just financial gain
What kind of work makes you feel valued?
Helping others
Being able to make informed decisions
Self-management and autonomy
Taking control and responsibility
Achieving goals
Being treated well and respected
Escaping the trap
Most common reasons
people feel trapped in
their jobs
Money
Status
Self-perception
about opportunities
Expectation of others
Making money …and keeping it
Many people would say that they have to keep their job for the money
But we often spend too much
It can become a cycle of being trapped waiting for the next pay cheque
Once we are trapped financially, it becomes difficult to break out of this cycle
Breaking the cycle Clearly assess your current financial situation
What are your financial goals
Get some financial education
Spend less than you earn
Think before you buy
Save 10% of your income
Simplify
Being creative Creativity is an important part of being
human
Repressing the instinct can be self-destructive
Fill yourself with ideas in order to be creative
Express yourself
Creativity recharges your batteries
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR CAREER…AND YOUR LIFE
What do you really want to do?
Most people fall into two categories
I know what I want to do; I just don’t know how to get
there
I don’t know what I want to do;
but I know it is not what I’m doing right now!
If you don’t know what you want to do…
Get to know yourself Think about you and what you are like and
who you want to be Not what you think you should be What did you want to be as a child? What are you passionate about? What do you hate/definitely not want to do? What do other people say you’re good at?
About working for yourself Freedom & Independence
Flexibility
Meaningful work
Fast decision making
Unlimited income potential
Empowered and in-control
Creative
No security or stability
No benefits
Must fulfill many roles
Start-up is challenging
The career change process Keep in mind your ideas about what
you want to do
Make a plan and do research
Work for free (trial run)
Re-train
Break out!
Commitment and persistence
Setting and achieving your goals
Move toward your main goal with smaller, incremental goals
Ensure goals are measurable and have a time limit
Share your main goal with others
Want more?
Available in print and ebook formats
Also download the free workbook http://www.thecreativepenn.com/careerchange/
