“I can’t afford to change career” – and other limiting beliefs that will hold you back!
By Fiona Clark, Career and Confidence Coach from Inspired Mums
As a career coach and founder of www.inspiredmums.co.uk, I speak to a lot of mums who feel stuck in their careers. Many of them have “fallen” into their first careers after school or university and a decade or two later now feel trapped doing work they no longer enjoy. There’s no denying that being on the wrong career path can be soul-destroying. If you feel stuck in a rut with the thought of retirement being the only light at the end of long dark tunnel, think again, it’s time to banish any limiting beliefs and take positive steps to rediscover your career mojo.
By limiting beliefs, I’m talking about those thoughts we hold about our situation and ourselves that undermine us in some way. The more we tell ourselves something negative, the more our subconscious struggles to distinguish between fact and fiction and the more we start believing it’s true. Examples could be, “It’s too late to change careers at my age” or “No one will hire me as my skills are no longer relevant.” Listening to this negative inner chatter ultimately erodes your self-confidence so that changing career becomes an even more daunting prospect. For example, if you believe there are no decent, flexible jobs out there, then you will stop looking and won’t find solutions to land one.
The secret to banishing these self-limiting beliefs once and for all is to develop a winning mindset. Only then will you have the confidence to take practical steps to kick-start your career search and find your dream job.
Here are my 3 tried and tested ways to manage your mindset and achieve success:
- Be Creative
Put your problem solving head on and ask yourself solution-oriented questions. For example, instead of saying “I can’t afford to change career,” ask yourself “how can I afford to change career?” or “what steps can I take to de-risk the situation?” You will be amazed at the results – by viewing your circumstances as problems that can be solved, you will be able to brainstorm positive ideas to help you change career direction.
- Focus on the positives
Silence those negative voices in your head by flipping them into positives. Instead of telling yourself, “I don’t have any transferable skills” write down all the skills you have that are useful in any career, such as influencing, leadership and organisational skills. Don’t just limit yourself to workplace examples; take into account those skills you have developed in your day-to-day life – such as multi-tasking and communication skills.
- Move out of your comfort zone
We are often our own worst enemies, talking ourselves out of career opportunities before we’ve even considered them properly. It’s important to recognise that limiting beliefs are often a self-protection mechanism – perhaps you aren’t applying for jobs because you are scared of the rejections. In my experience, mums returning to the workplace after a career break are particularly prone to talking themselves out of potential roles that should at least be researched, and possibly pursued. A good mantra in this situation is to ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’ – it’s only by moving out of your comfort zone into your stretch zone that you will achieve your full potential and reap the rewards of increased self-esteem and confidence.
Be inspired to make a career leap of faith by reading our inspiring story of a mum who swapped the courtroom for the classroom. http://www.inspiredmums.co.uk/blog/from-lawyer-to-teacher#.Wuw0Sq2ZM0o
If you would like a free consultation with Fiona to talk about how she can help you change career and find a fulfilling and family friendly role, then contact fiona@inspiredmums.co.uk or 07789 597209.
Looking for more career & confidence advice? Download Inspired Mums’ free e-book, “For mums stuck in a career rut – 8 steps to finding work you love” on www.inspiredmums.co.uk.
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