A career change can be scary and filled with mental blocks and limitations. I recently left my 7-year fashion career to become a full-time mental health writer. I even wrote about this story a few days after I quit.
It took me several months to cultivate the courage to leave my job and leap into the wild unknown. Investing in a career coach and speaking with friends who have made the same transition has been my saving grace.
To make a career change, I had to shift and strengthen my mindset. This prepared me for the moment I walked away from a successful career to build a new one. It is never too late to chase your dreams.
Here are 10 tips I have learned and used throughout my career transition.
1. If you want your life to change, you have to accept the discomfort of the unknown.
2. Your dreams are on the other side of uncertainty, not where you are familiar.
3. Know people will talk — judgment will hurt like hell, and it will come from those who believe they are incapable of their dreams (not your people). Support will come from those who walked your path and those who believe in your potential (your people).
4. Be curious about the unknown instead of fearing it. A new path means new knowledge, new experiences, and new opportunities.
5. Get help. Join network groups and look for people who are doing what you’re doing to set the bar for reaching your goals. If you have the budget, I recommend investing in a career coach. (This has been my greatest investment).
6. Pace yourself. You are starting to build a new foundation for a new career. This takes time. A new career path is a marathon, not a race. You’re doing this for you.
7. You will feel isolated from making a move outside of society’s perception of stability. This is normal. Keep going.
8. Surround yourself with people who inspire, encourage, and believe in you. Distance yourself from those who don’t. This is for your mental peace. You may have to make new friends. It’s daunting, but you can do it.
9. Redefine success by the way it fulfills you internally instead of externally. This is how you discover the purpose that ignites the fire to keep you moving.
10. Celebrate your courage. You are now a story for those in need of reassurance that they, too, can chase their dreams.
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