One year ago marked my shift from corporate to full-time coaching. There are so many learnings over the last year in this shift in my career, routine, and life.
In the spirit of learning, I wanted to share a bit about my story.
Here are the 4 things I’ve learned in the last year:
Learning #1
Making the decision can be the hardest part
For some reason, when someone else changes jobs or moves companies, it always seems to look so easy.
You don’t see the what happens behind the curtain. You don’t see the fears, excitement, planning or even hurdles that someone goes through in order to take a big risk.
Often, you don’t even know what they sacrifice.
Just making the decision can be the hardest part.
Once you do make the shift… you stop wondering “what could have been” or “one day, I’ll do what I really really want to do”.
You make the decision, and it’s freeing. When I decided to become a full-time coach, I agonized for years, before I finally stopped trying to figure out how to solve everything in fear, and just went for what I wanted.
Learning #2
Your Past Can Propel Your Future
It happens to the best of us: we fear that what we know so well today, will not translate into what we really want to do.
“I want to move into product, but I don’t think I have the right experience.”
“I’m not being fully utilized in my job, but I know this job so well. I don’t know a new job.”
If you are not happy, fulfilled, utilized, or bored-out-of-your-mind in your work, don't waste one more minute thinking about what you CAN’T do and start thinking about what you CAN.
Your knowledge may translate in a way that you didn’t expect.
I’m utilizing my startup roots to launch my business, and my mid-size and enterprise experience to help my clients advance their careers within similar companies.
We continue to underestimate the impact of our past on the future.
Your past can propel your future.
Learning #3
Go For The Job You Want
I think it can be tempting to wait until all the circumstance are perfectly perfect before you go for what you want.
"Well, my boss doesn’t think it’s a good idea."
“I want to do that… but no one makes money doing that.”
We’ve all heard these things, either from others or from our own thoughts. I know I have.
If we don’t go for what we want, we end up playing the game with someone else’s rules. We react to what the world wants from us, instead of what we want from the world.
Truth is, I always wanted to be a coach, but I wasn’t planning on going into coaching until much later. Instead I starting asking myself, “What am I waiting for?”
And I don’t regret going for my dream job one bit. Even when it’s tough.
Which brings me to my next learning…
Learning #4
There Are Always Challenges… And You Should Still Do It
If someone told you that their work was perfect, my guess would be they are either lying or delusional.
Harsh? Ok, I don’t know... maybe they are nice and are living some sort of 100% bliss that no one I’ve heard of has tapped into. So, they are one in a billion and you should definitely still hang out with them.
But, let’s be honest - challenges exist everywhere.
Following my dream and starting something brand new has had amazing days, and challenging days.
If we don’t look at challenges as stress, harmful, personal, failure...
and instead look at them neutrally as data, input, growth, learnings,
the challenges lose their power over you and instead ignite action.
Expect the challenge, don't run from it. And go for what you really want.
JB
Jenni Burton is the Founder of ASPIRE Consulting & Coaching, and helps professional women navigate and advance their careers while maintaining balance.
Want to advance your career? Schedule a coaching consultation with Jenni today.
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