Step 2: Look around 

When you have completed Step 1 and you have a clear picture of how you would like your life to be, consider how to create that life. 

This is the point where many people fall into the trap of “Victim Mentality.” They begin to look at the past and point to negative experiences that stopped them. They visualize current set-backs as permanent rather than temporary. Before long, the dreams and goals are squeezed back into the box one more time. 

But not you – not in 2008. You determine to break through. You commit to positive change. You take charge of your own destiny. You begin to look for career options that will achieve the life that you choose. 

You consider a job change – maybe a similar position in a company closer to home or whose culture fits you better. You consider a career shift – using your experiences and transferable skills in new ways in a different industry or perhaps in an area that contributes to humanity. You consider self-employment – finally implementing that start-up idea, buying an existing business or investing in a franchise. 

When you look around, the options are endless. Finding the right fit may seem like searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. If you choose to explore self-employment options, a business ownership coach can help you think through all those options and narrow your focus to the opportunities that will meet your needs and accomplish your goals. 

Step 3: Execute 

When you can look in the mirror and say with confidence, “This is who I am and I know where I am going,” then take action. Have faith in the work you put into this process. Surround yourself with like-minded people who support your choices.  

This is when fears and doubts creep in. In fact, those fears and doubts may have the voices of those who matter most to you. That is normal. Everyone who creates change in their lives faces resistance, internal or external. Someone said, “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone.” You have made a commitment for positive change – push through the boundaries of that comfort zone. Your dreams and goals are waiting out there. 

As you execute, your coach will be alongside, pointing out your blind spots, challenging your negative thinking and holding you accountable for your own commitments. When you have a hard time believing in your own dreams and goals, your coach will believe for you. 

Your postcard has arrived in the mail. It is addressed to you, in your own handwriting. Now is the time for your 2008 annual career check up. Follow the steps. Call your coach for an appointment.  

Brenda J. Carlson, co-owns a coaching firm called The Entrepreneur’s Source (TES). Her background as an entrepreneur, an educator and experience in leadership positions strongly compliments her coaching practice mission “to help people find the right business and to help businesses find the right people.”  In addition to helping people find self-employment opportunities, her firm also provides coaching to businesses and work teams to discover the strengths and challenges of current operations, and what to do about them.

Click here for additional articles on other topics.