Career Change MotivationSo, you've been working the same job for years and are ready for a change. Career change motivation can be difficult to muster without a great deal of time and effort. What steps do you need to start taking if you want to increase your motivation to successfully change careers? Clarify the WhyThe first and probably most important step in increasing your motivation to change careers is to clarify why you want to make a change. Are you just looking to escape your current career situation, thinking anything would be an improvement? Is it due to factors like work hours, low pay, working environment, etc?Asking questions like these can help to get to the root cause of why you want to make a change. Without really understanding the specific reasons behind making a change, you may still find yourself unsatisfied with the new career direction. Clarity is extremely important, it will help guide you to the next step. Visualize the OutcomeOnce you know why you want a change, the next step in increasing your motivation to changing careers is to visualize your ideal outcome. Knowing what you don't like is not enough, you need to get very clear on what it is you really want.Clarity is critical to avoid being disappointed with the change. Consider all aspects that the career change would bring- work environment, earning potential, working hours, demand, etc. Think about both the advantages and disadvantages of that the change would bring. Visualize exactly what your ideal would be and what type of career would match most closely. Be Optimistic but RealisticSee the positive potential of a change, but don't ignore the potential negatives that it may entail. For example, you may decide to quit your current job and become an author. While it is possible to be successful as an author, it can be difficult to get published if you have never been published before, and it might take quite some time before you achieve your goal.Start Transitioning The best way to test your motivation to change careers is to test the waters. While keeping your current career, try testing out your alternate career idea on the side just to make sure it's really what you want. Try working part time or weekends to get a taste of what the career would be like. You could also try taking a class or volunteering with something related to the new career to get an additional perspective or more information of what the work would entail. Determine if there could be any overlap between your current career and desired career. Are there any projects you could get involved in or create that would be related to your new career choice? Is it possible to influence your current career into your desired career without having to quit your current position? Make the ChangeOnce you have decided on your new career, tested it out a little bit, and feel certain it is the direction you want to go, plunge in and make the change. You will need to keep your current needs in mind, but to maximize your motivation you may want to make a clean break from your current situation and fully invest yourself in the new direction.If you plan to make a change at some future point when it is convenient, it may never happen. Once you have done all the preparation work and know the change is something you want and has the potential to work for you, dive in and fully commit yourself to the new path. Return from Career Change Motivation to Motivation in the Workplace Return from Career Change Motivation to Self Motivation Strategies |
