What are you waiting for?

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose."

My son has so many books, one of my favourites is: Oh, the places you'll go! by Dr Seuss. The other day I sat and read it after he'd got bored and wandered off to play trains. There are so many great messages here, if you haven't read it in a while (or ever), I really recommend you grab a copy.

I could do a whole blog post on the quote at the top, but the part of the story that struck me most was 'The Waiting Place':

"You can get so confused that you'll start to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place"

It made me wonder how many things I have put off because I was waiting for something to happen: Waiting to qualify as a certified professional life coach before starting my business, waiting for the weather to be warmer so I can do more exercise or waiting for lockdown to end to be happy...

There's always an excuse we can make to stay in our comfort zone. But are you making more excuses than changes? 

Are you stuck in the waiting place? Are you stuck in a situation you know isn't right for you, but you're not quite sure how to get unstuck?

Here's some ideas to get out of 'the waiting place' in your career: 

Are you waiting for the perfect job to come along? 

Consider what your perfect job would look like - what are your deal-breakers and your nice-to-haves? Do you really know what you are looking for? Will you be prepared for when it finally comes along?

Are you waiting to progress in your career? 

Consider where you want to be in 5 years time in your job, what skills/experience/knowledge do you need to develop to make it happen? Take the first step or talk to someone who might be able to help guide you.

Are you waiting to make a decision? 

We're all guilty of putting off decisions, especially big ones. Sign up to the End your Career Paralysis mini course and make a decision on your next step.

Are you waiting to learn a new skill? 

Buy a book or enrol in a free online course. There are so many online courses available and the vast majority you can complete in your own time. Some are even audio based that you can learn while you drive, walk the dog or sit watching your children play at the park. 

YouTube is great for learning new skills, put the time in whenever you have it or maybe watch a TED Talk to inspire you. Skool is another amazing platform for learning about a whole range of topics.

Are you waiting for your kids to be in full time education? 

Start considering whether there might be a job for-now. There are so many options for working mums and part time hours are a great way to earn as well as gaining experience.

Are you waiting for more time before you consider making a career change? 

Carve out one hour a day, get started now - that's 7 hours a week. Still feel too much? What about 20 minutes a day? Remember, baby steps! It all adds up!

Are you waiting to have a risk-free plan laid out before you get started? 

Is life risk free? Anything can happen, and it could be great things happen but you'll never know until you take that risk! Consider what the first small step could look like. 

Are you waiting for someone to give you permission? 

What if you gave yourself permission? Put yourself first, I know that can be a hard thing to do but believe me, you will thank yourself for it later.

"And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)"

You don't have to wait. Don’t get stuck in working out ‘how’ to make it happen. Figure out WHAT you want. Get clear on WHY you want it… then start trying things out, start taking action. The HOW will become clear, but sometimes you need to commit to taking the first step.

If you've enjoyed this post and would like to hear more from me, follow me on Instagram for more tips to help you find a career to enjoy, not endure.

Stop waiting. Find a career that works for you today.

If you have realised you're stuck in 'the waiting place', and know you want to make a change, but the idea terrifies you and you don’t know where to start - I have some free resources to help you get clear on what you want the next season of your life to look like.

I would love to help you find a career that works for you.