Are You Where You Thought You Should Be Today?

Are you satisfied where you are in your career right now? Or, do you think back to the jobs you turned down, or the paths you should have taken?

The decisions you made, or did
not make, may have taught you
some tough lessons, but you can
use these lessons to build a
bright future. You get to say how
your future will go, and you get
to choose where you will end
up. Do not burden yourself with
reasons and excuses that hold
you back because of past
mistakes.

Now, this is not to say that
looking at your career (and your life) and deciding what needs to be improved is easy. But staying stuck is harder. How can it not be when doing the same thing over and over again may be making you unhappy, and starting fresh can bring you joy and excitement?

So, how do you make peace with where you are today so you can create a new future? Follow the steps below:

1. Get To Know Yourself Better
The more you know yourself, the
better you will be able to decide
what is best for you. It is easy to
make decisions when you know
what's right for you versus trying
to make decisions based on
what others think you should
do. You will be swayed less by
choices that do not work for you,
and will lean more towards
choices that do work for you, if
you know what your values and
goals are first.

2. Forgive Others
Your family, friends, colleagues,
bosses, etc. meant well in their
advice to you. Their intentions
may have been influenced by
what they wanted, but trust that
they meant no harm. They really
do want the best for you. When
you forgive others, the blame
disappears, and you get your life
back. You free yourself up to
take responsibility for your own
choices, and for what your future
will look like.

3. Forgive Yourself
Why do you believe you have to
be perfect all the time? Why can't
you make mistakes and learn
from them? You are human and
humans have flaws. (Your life
would be boring without them.)
Why not forgive yourself for
doing the best you could do at
the time and then promise you
will do better? People get
second chances everyday. So can
you.

4. Trust Your Instinct
You know which career is right
for you. You have always known.
Back when you made your first
choices, fear may have kept you
from taking the path you really
wanted to take. Now, it may be
bills that are keeping you stuck.
Trust your instinct (the little voice
inside that tells you your true
purpose in life), and you will get
meaning in your life. You will
realize that you cannot wait
another moment. What you will
uncover is your gift to the world,
one we are all waiting for you to
give.

5. Recognize That It Is Not Too Late
There will always be a reason to
not push ahead and try
something new. But the
alternative is not having a life you
love. Every day, people your age
or older leave jobs that are not
right for them. My mom, who is
56, has just gone back to school,
and many people older than her
are also doing so. If you tell
yourself that it is too late, then it
will be. Wouldn't you prefer to tell
yourself something different?

6. Get A Plan
Decide that it is important to live
a life without regrets. Then set
goals to support your next career
move. Goals help you focus your
efforts and motivate you to move
forward. You can get always get
a job, but you will not find a job
you love until you know where
you are going first.

7. Take A Chance
It all comes down to "will you do
it or will you not?" Life grants big
rewards, but only to those who
put in the work. You really can do
whatever you want, but you will
have to step out of your comfort
zone and out of your own way.
Take the chance. Why not? If you
really hate your new life, you can
always go back to your old ways.


So what do you say? You only have one life to live so it might as well be a life you love!