Do You Want To Change Your Career ? Don't Do It Alone.

During the journey from a job that you hate to finding the work that you love, you will need lots of guidance, support, motivation and encouragement. Most of us fail to create our dream life because of trying to do it alone. Interruptions, setbacks, and fears are part of every journey and they are inevitable. Without getting help, most of us lack focus, commitment, and accountability. Even if you were very disciplined and motivated, it would take much longer to reach your goal without someone who believes in you, who will praise your achievements, take you out of your comfort zone and keep you on track. Here are some tips to help you get the support you will need during your journey : 1. Create (or join) an online group of like-minded people who are interested in personal development and/or career change. Online groups enable each member to keep focused in a supportive environment. You can create your own group or join an existing one on Yahoo or Google :nn• http://groups.yahoo.comn• http://groups.google.comnn2. Create a team of people who want to leave their jobs to discover their purpose and find the work they were born to do. Get together regularly to give each other inspiration and support. The number of people you would like to invite to your meetings is totally up to you but three people are enough to start with. Meet weekly to motivate each other and exchange help and ideas. Take turns to talk about your dreams and allow others to help you in your goals. Here is how the team works : nn• The first member (let’s call her Julia) begins by describing her dream. Other members help Julia to create a specific goal with a target date. nn• Julia then states the obstacles that are preventing her from realizing her dream. Other members help her to overcome these obstacles by suggestions, contacts, materials and ideas.nn• Then Julia tells the group what actions she will take until the next meeting. The others brainstorm options and help Julia create an action plan. This is the format of the inital get-together. At the next meeting, Julia tells the others what she has achieved since the last meeting and sets another action plan with the help of the other members. Each member’s time is limited to 30 minutes (or less if it is a larger team). It is crucial to make these meetings a priority in your life. You need to be 100% committed. If you would like to find out more about how to create small groups in which members dedicate their efforts to help each other achieve their goals, I recommend Barbara Sher’s “success teams website” which will give you plenty of ideas :nnhttp://www.shersuccessteams.comnhttp://www.shersuccessteams.com/iparties.htmnn3. Enlist the services of a career coach. A good career coach will help to remove barriers that you have placed in your path, inspire you to take action and provide you with resources and tools to help you discover and follow your dreams of working at what you love. Here are some suggestions to help you choose a great coach :n• Begin searching online for a career coach or ask for word-of-mouth referral from someone you know. n• Ensure that the coach has got a qualification from a reputable training organisation. n• Ask for a free consultation to check out the rapport between you and the potential coach. Does the coach listen to you? Do you feel they clearly understand what you want to achieve through coaching?n• Find out whether their previous clients have had a result.n• Ask for their rates and make sure you understand exactly what services will be received for your investment in coaching. As Barbara Sher says, “Isolation is the dream killer”. If you've been trying to go after your dreams alone and haven't been able to move forward, it's because you haven't had the support and structure you need. Make sure to take action in a supportive environment where you can get all the help and the encouragement you will need along your journey.n