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The toughest
career decision: Get out or get going!
By
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D
Note: My career
and business coaching site has moved! Come
visit.
Many of us are
influenced by the sports ethic: Never give up! When a basketball team
is down by 20 with 30 seconds on the clock, the players never stop
working. The spectators might be filing out, and the winning team
might be playing the reserves, but the game goes on.
If your game is a business or a job, you won't hear a whistle to
signal the end of the game. If you keep going and win, you may gain a
lifelong prize. If you keep throwing good money and energy into a
losing cause, the whistle can blow for unemployment or bankruptcy.
"Should I keep going?" is one of the most difficult
questions for anyone, including career counselors and coaches. There
is no single answer, but here are some ways to focus the question.
1. How did you get
into the situation? Were you encouraged by a spouse, parent, friend or
mentor? You have a better chance of fulfilling your own dream than
someone else's.
2. Is there a little
voice in your head that whispers, "Maybe you should be doing X
instead?" Listen up, as the sports coaches say, especially if you
can put a name on "X" ,and if you've been playing this game
awhile. That "little voice" may be your
intuition speaking.
3. Does your new
venture refuse to go away? If you try to leave your job, do you find
yourself getting caught up in a new project or rewarded with a new
promotion?
One speaker, accepting a local "Entrepreneur of the Year"
award, told the audience, "I hated this business. I tried to sell
it but nobody would buy me out. I was forced to fix it up and, in the
process, found success."
4. What is the
universe telling you?
Are you getting customers?
Is your progress considerably faster or slower than your peers and
competitors?
Has anything clicked into place for you, seemingly without effort?
To interpret these messages, tune
in to your own intuition.
5. What is your own
historical trend?
Do you tend to give up too easily or hang on too long? Often coaching
can help you identify career patterns and decide if you want to make
changes.
6. Are you still
having fun?
A loss of enthusiasm can be temporary, especially if you're fatigued
or have just experienced a setback. Long-term discouragement will
create negative energy and ultimately destroy your career or business.
7. Must your decision
be either-or?
Can you continue a business part-time with a manager? Can you look for
a new job but also start a business? Multi-tasking can fragment
energies but also offer unparalleled opportunities. It's a key transition
skill.
If you are struggling
with our own Tough Career Decision, you may need an objective
perspective and a new process to make decisions. People say that,
after a single hour of coaching,
they can often start sleeping again!
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Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
is an author, career coach, and speaker. She works with midlife,
mid-career professionals and business owners who want to get on the
fast track to career freedom. Visit her site http://www.cathygoodwin.com
or call 505-534-4294.
For her free weekly newsletter, visit http://www.cathygoodwin.com/subscribe.html
