A good friend of mine is trapped. In what I call the career trap. He is in his thirties and earns really good money in his current position. Yet, he is deeply dissatisfied. In fact, he has been talking about getting a new job for almost two years now, but it never seems to be the right time for self realization?why?
The thing is: Like many people- he just doesn?t make it happen.
But what is holding him back? One reason for not taking action is the common logical mistake almost all people in a career trap commit, which is:
Comparing the advantages of their current job to the disadvantages of their dream job aka new job. This way the new job is always going to lose with the known result: Stagnation instead of progression.
This approach is almost like standing up in the morning, looking in the mirror and comparing yourself to a model on the front page of a glossy magazine ? it?s just not fair!
Always keep in mind what top model Cindy Crawford ones said: ?Even I don?t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford?
Actually you should do it the other way around to generate the necessary motivation for a serious career change:
Always compare the downsides of your current situation to the benefits of the life you really want to lead. So, let?s go!
- List all the costs, negative aspects and things you don?t like about your job
- Then, list all the positive aspects, conveniences and upsides of your new job
- Weigh the factors and rank your top three hulking, most important points
- Introspect and compare your three top points that will change for a better in your new life to your personal values and aims for your future life.
After all, every job and every life situation has downsides. But if you want to motivate yourself to really make a change, you have to focus on what you are going to win by making that change happen in real life ? the benefits!
Evolution has equipped us with a certain perseverance. For our brain, breaking this is only justified by clear benefits.?For our brain, breaking this is only justified by clear benefits.
So give your brain what it needs and remember:
?The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim too high and we miss it, but that we aim too low and we reach it? ? Michelangelo