Why You Need an Inspiring Vision for Your Career

Changing your career is about so much more than landing your dream job. When done correctly it’s an opportunity to set your life on a whole new trajectory. Whether you realize it or not, this is your chance to create the life of your dreams.

Perhaps you’re someone who is fed up with the grind and you’ve reached your breaking point. I got started yesterday with a client who just couldn’t take the stress and demoralization that he was experiencing any more in his job. To him it feels like his life has come to an awful realization. He’s not where he’s supposed to be. For me it’s quite the opposite. I see this as the perfect opportunity for James to create the life of his dreams.

Adversity is Often the Precursor to Transformation

Believe it or not but adversity and despair are the necessary ingredients for real transformation. I experienced this firsthand when I suffered a crippling injury that was the result of fatigue and burnout from overworking myself. At the time I remember thinking that having to take a four-week medical leave of absence was the worst thing that could have happened to me. If only I hadn’t gotten injured then I could’ve continued on with my plan to put in my time so I could get a big pay day with the next job opportunity.

In hindsight, that injury was the best thing that ever happened to me. If you’re reading this and you’re experiencing a layoff, termination or you’ve just hit your breaking point then I’d invite you to see how this could be a blessing in disguise. Finding yourself in dire straits like these is a clear sign that you’re not where you’re supposed to be. When things are going good enough it’s easy to deny this. Before I got injured I was in serious denial about the sorry state of my affairs. I was far from happy yet I was able to rationalize it because I had a ‘good job.’

Denial is Your Worst Enemy

The gravity of the situation following the injury quickly shattered this illusion. It was at that point that I began to take stock of my situation and my life. The reality was that my life wasn’t headed in any meaningful direction and I was beginning to realize that if I didn’t do something about it, it was bound to continue along this downward slide.

Imagine this is you and you’re past the point of denying the truth of your situation. What are you going to do? Are you going to play it safe and double down on your denial of the situation so you can avoid the hard work of making some serious changes? Or are you going to step up to the plate and reclaim your right to live the life of your dreams?

Dreaming Big is the Answer

All it takes is a simple commitment. This is where it begins for every one of my clients before they start going through the process of mapping out their path to not just land their dream job but to create their dream life. I urge each and everyone of them to dig deep and consider what the dream world situation looks like to them. Once they’ve gotten a clear vision in place we get to work on making this vision come true through an orchestrated game plan.

The reality is that anything is possible. If you can imagine it you can create it. It’s a simple truth that is so often overlooked. We’re all so conditioned to dream small dreams when really what we should be doing is dreaming big – so big that now you feel like your life now has a sense of purpose. What if you went from feeling like a cog in a wheel to feeling like your life is going to mean something? What might that do for you?

An Inspiring Vision is All You Need

It’s amazing to witness what happens when someone gets clear on an inspiring vision for their life. All of a sudden there’s this massive shift in motivation and enthusiasm that carries them forward. I’ve seen it with Bill who created a vision for working for a cutting edge events company, I’ve seen it with Rebecca who created a vision for opening up her own dance studio, with John who envisioned launching his own eCommerce company, with Chris who envisioned a successful career in the music industry and with Sarah who envisioned opening her own beauty spa.

After just a session or two they go from feeling down in the dumps, barely able to summon the energy to work on their resume, to hopping and skipping as they spend an hour a day on networking and interview prep. It’s their vision that inspires them to put in the work and it’s their vision that fuels their progress.

Working Towards Your Dream is What Matters

In some cases their vision is something that they could realize over the next few months. In other cases it’s something that may not come to pass for another few years. Bill expects to begin his dream job over the next few months. Sarah on the other hand knows that in order to open up her own spa business she’s going to need to save up some money first.

What’s interesting about Sarah is that when we started working together she couldn’t stand the idea of continuing to work in sales. That shifted the moment we came up with a plan for her to start her own business. Once she knew that having money to invest would be a crucial piece of the puzzle she had all the motivation she needed to go out there and find a better job that would pay a lot more (which is exactly what she did).

A Strong Sense of Purpose is Your Reward

The point of all of this is that when you find yourself at this crucial juncture in your life, where it’s clear that the status quo just isn’t doing it any more, you owe it to yourself to take stock of your situation. This will likely be the first time you’ve had a chance to hit the pause button for long enough to consider what it is that you actually want for your life. I can tell you from personal experience that having a sense of purpose and an inspiring vision for yourself changes everything. Until you do then you’re just going to be going through the motions.

Shoot me a note if you’re tired of the same old drudgery suffering through the work day and counting down the days to the weekend. It doesn’t have to be that way.