Ann Young was a successful V.P. in marketing who had built a career in corporate America. She became disillusioned during her 25-year career and began to dream of doing something different and more fulfilling. However, the high position, money and prestige kept her stuck in the job. She felt it was crazy to even consider giving up the security to try something unknown and new.
After she lost her father to Cancer, she became passionate about health and wellness. She realized that working in the field and being able to help others regain their health would be her dream job. It was natural for her, considering she had a background in nursing. Ann wasn’t sure what her new career looked like, but she knew in her heart that it was where she belonged. After she made this decision, it took her quite awhile before she gathered the courage to walk out the door. She would keep finding excuses and rationalizing the reasons why it wasn’t the right time to leave just yet. Always a superstar, she realized she was becoming less and less effective in her role at work. That’s when she knew it was time to finally leave. “It was scary”, Ann said. “Here I was, 48 years old, and I was leaving all that money and prestige.”
Today, Ann is a Health and Nutrition Counselor (she received her nutrition degree) working with individuals that are serious about changing their lifestyle. She is passionate about her field and her work and knows she made the right decision. She just wishes that she had made it sooner.
It happens to you at some point in your life. You get stuck and even though you’re miserable where you’re at, you can’t seem to find the secret to moving forward.
So what can you do when you feel that you’re stuck in quicksand and trapped in your current situation?
Find someone supportive that will help you have accountability in reaching your goal. I had this exact situation some years ago.I was unhappy in my job and truly wanted to go back to school, but the idea seemed unachievable. I shared my feelings with a mentor at work and she pushed me to pursue this dream. To be honest, I’m not sure that I would have had the guts to start the whole process if she hadn’t supported and believed in me throughout the whole process.
When you’re feeling stuck, change one thing, no matter how small. Take a different route to work. Sign up for a dance class or listen to some new music that’s outside your usual choice. Getting into routines happens to everyone. Routines make you feel safe and predict what comes next in a fast-paced world. It also keeps you in your comfort zone when you need to venture outside and test the waters. Just by making small incremental changes, you can slowly get in the habit of making larger changes in your life.
Learn how to talk back to your inner critic. That back seat driver in your head is calling the shots. He can be convincing when he gives you all the reasons why you can’t make this change. He’ll give you a list of why you’re better off where you are and why you’re going to fail if you make a move. Maybe it’s time to take him off the payroll.
Change your perspective on failing. Realize that “failure”, that thing you dread, might not be so bad after all. Successful people often share that their failures were a big part of their eventual success. Accept that failure only means that you might have to try again before you get to the success part. Redefine failure as part of the process of growing and learning- it’s not “the end of the world”.
The only thing holding you back from achieving your dreams is YOU. Start taking the steps to make that change in your life RIGHT NOW!
