You don’t need me to tell you that the most successful people in the world became successful as a result of challenging the status quo. If you are in need of a confidence boost, challenging the status quo will put you outside your comfort zone and give you the opportunity to experience and showcase your talents. Next time you are unhappy with a decision which resulted in the status quo, have a go at challenging it!
Unless we take risks and stand up for what we believe in we will merely
As the reality of quitting my job sinks in and the loss of a steady income slowly follows ……. along with some serious fears and doubts, I started assessing why I quit my job in the first place. This was the only way to counteract my self-doubt, as the thought of crumbling under financial pressure and settling for the same job was killing me. The answer …… I wanted to take control of my career and give myself the freedom, the opportunity to reach my full potential.
…and the questions started rolling in…. Where to from here?….. If the past doesn’t dictate the future, how does one transition from an 18 year career to something completely different? If it’s truly what I wanted, surely I needed to stop looking for the same line of work? I need to start searching for opportunities that were in alignment with my new desires, my new vision for the future.
Then another reality kicked in…… How am I going to achieve a shift in my career and reach my full potential without someone having faith in me or giving me a go? Since my Resume dictates the past, it makes it virtually impossible to be shortlisted little yet progress to an interview. Enter a serious round of frustration which took me back almost 18 years ago when I first entered the workforce with zero experience.
So yes I had to go back down memory lane to remind myself how I’d landed my first job without a Resume. Persistence and determination sprung up pretty quickly followed by an ability to sell my passion, drive and ambition. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, my confidence was in overdrive.
So what’s the problem today? With 18 years of corporate experience under my belt, together with an MBA almost squared away, not only do I have the experience and qualifications to become a successful business woman, my confidence is on steroids. So again, what’s the problem? Well yes of course it’s the usual white elephant…..the fear of the unknown/fear of failure, followed by having the courage to get off the bus and follow my dreams and lastly my Resume needed a facelift!
Unless I clearly articulate and demonstrate my expertise and passion to a potential employer, I can see the ‘Dear John’ letters flooding in. So I started listing all the achievements which made a serious impact in the organisations I had worked for which quickly shaped and gave my Resume the facelift it desperately needed. My focus was to remove a lot of the past and focus on the new skills and experience gained that will lead me closer to my new career.
So does your Resume need a facelift?
Are you embarking on a new career? What challenges have you faced along the way?
Join me next time as I experiment with crafting a killer Resume and find out whether it’s all about presentation and content or simply selling your expertise and passion in a simplified intuitive way.
To boosting your confidence and living your dreams.
I wish there was a quick fix but speaking from personal experience, the reality is, the more you think about it, the stronger the fear becomes. You will never conquer fear by talking about it, you need to step outside your comfort zone and look fear straight into the eyes by ‘doing’ and/or ‘experiencing’.
Now I know this is easier said than done because I have been there and you have my support but trust me you have to put yourself in that vulnerable position as the only way to overcome fear is through experience.
To put it into context for you, before I enrolled in my MBA degree I was full of doubts and fear that haunted me for at least a year. I’d finally had enough of being controlled by my fears and what others thought I could or couldn’t achieve. So with sheer determination I decided to enroll in the MBA and give it a shot before I just closed the door based on fear of failure. The determination paid off . Today I’m ‘doing’ the MBA rather than allowing fear to rule my world.
“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in one’s determination” – Tommy Lasorda
So today I challenge you to put fear in the back seat and allow yourself to do something exciting, exhilarating that will fuel your passion for life. Go on you can do it!
As a wife, mother, sister, friend, employee, student and entrepreneur I would have to disagree with Julie Bishop’s comment that women can’t have it all.
First and foremost Julie, if you considered your own mother, you would have quickly ascertained that mothers are super human and we don’t ask for any special treatment as a result of this label. Isn’t it enough that society labels us differently in the workforce just because we are ‘women’?
Whether you are a MAN or a WOMAN, yes you can have it all! Those women that choose to stand down from their demanding corporate careers need to make it clear if they did this of their own accord. If it’s a choice they made based on where they are in life, i.e. they had their share of the corporate adrenaline and now want to focus on raising their children.
As we go through life our needs and wants change continuously so it is ridiculous to label that as ‘you can’t have it all’ Yes you can! You just have to adjust and make some sacrifices in order to get there.
For me working full-time, studying part-time, trying to start-up a business and dedicating myself to my Toastmasters community all whilst also being a wife and mother indicate to me that YES I can have it all. It’s a matter of setting some realistic boundaries and getting on with it. I don’t want anyone’s pity nor do I want anyone telling me that I can’t have it all. That is my privilege.
We all want a better life not only for ourselves but for our children too. To all the hard working mothers and fathers out there, you are setting a good example for your children and being a great role model by showing your children that life is all about choices and commitments. Everyone’s work-life balance is unique to their circumstances and goals they want to achieve.
I am sick to death of this label placed upon ‘women’ especially in today’s society where there are so many great ‘fathers’ role reversing and being the primary parent in a household.
Whether you are a man or a woman YES you can have it all, it’s just a matter of timing, resourcefulness, setting realistic expectations and commitment.
Embrace your future by making a powerful decision today that will bring you closer to the future you always imagined. If you truly want success, start by making a commitment to attaining it!
“No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourself.” – RALPH WALDO EMERSON
As I contemplate re-entering the workforce it dawned on me…….imagine if legislation made it compulsory for all employers to disclose their employee turnover rate to short listed candidates as part of their recruitment policies? It’s time for job seekers to reverse the role from interviewee to interviewer! We all know high turnover points directly to bad management and thus enables us to make an informed decision before we enter a potentially toxic environment.
Is the most incredible and powerful decision you will ever make. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for your beliefs, values and morals but you can do it! The hardest part is finding a mentor, a support system to help you build up that courage and if necessary, to break the mental barrier that has been blocking you from living your life to the fullest. My biggest challenge in life is this insatiable need for social justice and to protect those who lack the courage to speak up and be treated fairly.
As I dug into my resourcefulness this week, I was fortunate enough to come into contact with the following quote from Tony Robbins:
“One of the biggest mistakes we ever make is to underestimate the influence we have on others. We think we have to argue logically with people, instead of just showing them another way to be. We imagine that we can indulge in self-sabotage without negatively influencing our family. We fail to remember the healing power of simply listening to and appreciating the people in our life. Don’t make this mistake. One quality of a great leader is to help people understand your choices and your intentions.”
Tony’s message has reinforced and invigorated my determination, persistence and freedom to be myself! God bless and don’t be afraid to live your dreams! The fear, anxiety and thought of letting your loved ones down are all part of your growth and contribution to the world.
