Then I groaned when I got up. I woke up again on Monday. It was jam-packed with presentations and meetings. The sight of the sunken, tired eyes and slumped shoulders made me scream. I finally got up from my bed.
Prettier education, dream campus placement, impressive lateral moves, and a top-ranking corporate job earning seven figures. I was a successful professional by the world’s yardsticks. I was still crying in my toilet.
‘You haven’t slogged this long to spend your days on autopilot. You have not come so far to not have time for family and friends,’ said a voice in my head. This time I didn’t silence it.
For the past few years, I felt disillusioned and demotivated. The voice in my head had been goading me to change my life’s direction. But I felt trapped. The career that I wanted was something I had always dreamed of, was good at, as well as what I did all my life. My hobbies and interests were not my passions.
My husband and my daughter were important to me, but my job was my identity. This identity was my independence and I was scared of losing it.
‘Then be prepared to spend Mondays waiting for Fridays for the rest of your life,’ the voice in my head whispered.
“No,” I screamed, wiping away the tears streaming down my cheeks, and shouted, “I want to wake up with a smile every day.”
The day after that, I handed in my resignation at work. “You have lost your head,” people said. For a change, I didn’t listen to them. I would rather suffer the painful pains of self-discovery that the dull ache and listlessness of life for the rest my days.
It was one year ago. Today, I wake up early to read two newspaper while enjoying tea on my balcony. It is my privilege to choose the people that I work alongside. I enjoy doing what I do, and work doesn’t feel like work.
What happened to everything? After losing my self, how did I find my way back and turn my career around?
“When you stay on purpose and refuse to be discouraged by fear, you align with the infinite self, in which all possibilities exist.” – Wayne Dyer
How I first uncovered my passions…
My notice period was used to think and reflect, to find my passions in order to be fulfilled. Either as a professional or as an individual pursuit. So discovering my passions was the very first step.
These are my lessons learned from self-discovery.
1. Talk to your friends and family for assistance. Next, eliminate the duplicates and choose.
You should reach out to people you know and trust. To get positive results, be direct with them and clear about what you need.
Four of my most trusted colleagues were able to help me list my five strengths, along with examples and reasons. This resulted in me not only having a list but also third-party validation. —It is a great way to boost your confidence.
2. Reflect on what gets you to a state of ‘flow’.
All your questions are within reach. You can find those answers by spending time with you. Three questions were asked of me:
- Was there anything I loved doing when I was a kid, a teenager or first got started working?
- What was the last time I became so immersed in something, that it lost all track of my own time? How was it that I got so absorbed in something, that my time seemed to have disappeared?
- What section of a bookstore would you recommend if I was locked up in an accidently overnight?
It was obvious to me in what areas I should use my skills, even though I had already noted them.
3. Get better.
You put in the hard work while pursuing your degree to land that job, didn’t you? To make your passion a career or pursuit, you will need to continue the work. Even if the future domain you are interested in is completely different than what you currently work in.
Select wisely and carefully among virtual certifications, diplomas, degrees, and certificates. You are not just adding another credential on your LinkedIn profile, but building a solid foundation for future success.
Two completely separate careers drew me in, so I opted for concurrent certifications in each area. I was able to organize my ideas and create a plan.
…and then transformed them into professions.
When I found my passions and had settled down, I started my new careers. These were my lessons learned from this phase.
1. Learn while you do.
What is the best way to learn how to ride a bike? It was by riding it. You did not know how to do it in your first job. You did it. It’s the same during a transition.
You will lack confidence and have less time if you delay completing the degree or course to restart. You should learn your skills as quickly as possible. Within the first 2 weeks of taking my writing course, I was publishing my writings online. For my other venture, I used the same method.
2. Join peer support groups.
It is vital to have a peer support group during your transition. They will bond over common goals. You can be held accountable and encouraged to do your best. They also provide constructive feedback.
Peer support groups can help you feel less alone as you navigate the lonely journey of change. I gained some great ideas from these peer support groups.
3. Be consistent and take small steps.
Many small, incremental steps are required to transform. Consistency establishes a process. Results are the result of process.
Fear would have paralysed me if I imagined that I could be a published author within a few days of quitting my job. Instead I focused on writing 500 words per day. That has been my goal since then. I do it even when I am sick or on vacation.
4. Embrace the new you — with your backstory.
‘What do you do?’ You might fumble to answer this common question during your career transition. That’s what happened to me in the initial months after my pivot.
Once I was accepted, I knew that I would be rejected by the outside world. Then I recorded and wrote my new professional introduction. I continued to listen to it until I was comfortable answering that question.
25 years ago, 35 years ago, 45 years ago, and you’re a completely different person. You can be grateful for what you have done, optimistic about the future, and enthusiastic about your past. You will inspire the whole world.
To find happiness, tap into your inner self
Be happy and let go of your busyness. Find at least one thing that you enjoy doing. Follow that activity. You will find a new purpose in your life.
Listening to that little voice in my head made me find my life’s purpose. Now I wake up every morning smiling, and feel the most happy I’ve ever felt. My husband is the same.
Addicted 2 Success published the article When Pursuing your Passions, You Can Find Your Purpose.
Addicted 2 Success published the post Pursuing Passions: How You Can Find Your Purpose originally on Addicted 2 Success.
