7 ways to boost faith in yourself and the possibility of your new career

Let’s get crystal clear about this issue of belief – if you don’t believe that career change is possible or that it’s possible for you, it will never happen.

Each time I changed direction in my own career, there was a period of doubt that:

a) I had the strengths, knowledge or abilities that would make me successful in a new career

or b) that I had it in me to make change happen

Which one is holding you back from imagining, designing and building a more fulfilling working life?

When I tackled these doubts head on and acted on some of the 7 ideas below, everything changed.

Only then was I able to shift from:

· teaching high school to lecturing in university

· lecturing at university to re-training as a career advisor

· career service manager in a university to head of programming for an internationally-renowned literary festival

On paper, some of these shifts look easier than others, but they all required intrinsic belief both in my own value

and that I could chart the career change course.

To find out what my 7 tips are to strengthen your self-belief, watch this 16-minute video or scroll down to read the rest of this article!

7 steps to self-belief

Here’s this hard-won wisdom to launch your career-change year.

1. Yes you can make change happen

Most people will have made some changes in their lives: moving house, starting a new piece of learning,

resigning from work, securing a new job, launching a business, planning a holiday,

getting a new hair style, taking up a new hobby, learning an instrument….

Think big, think small.

What changes have you already created in your life? Write them down.

This is your evidence that you have the necessary skills to change things.

You have the vision, the desire, the motivation, the action, resilience, the see-it-through-ability.

There was a before and there was an after. Therefore, you can do it again.

BUT…!

I already hear all those objections your inner critic is raising… ‘but this is different’, ‘there’s more at stake now’..

yes, this may be true, but the fact remains, you CAN make change happen.

What will it take to bring these abilities to life? That’s a matter of how much you need and want this change,

why it matters to you – more on that later.

2. Yes you have strengths, achievements and talents

What are your strengths? What are you known for in your current organization or amongst your friends?

What achievements are you most proud of in your life and your career?

These might be technical skills (like web design), mindsets (like optimism), knowledge (like the psychology of sales),

or other personal qualities (like collaboration). List them down.

These are likely to be the qualities that an employer in a new career sector would value in you. It’s more than possible

to transfer these success stories into a new arena. But first you have to believe.

3. Yes, this matters

Getting clear on exactly WHY you need to change your working life is paramount because these reasons will be the fuel

that drives your career change to success.

The chances are that at this point in your life, you have different needs and desires, and probably a different context than when

you started out. Recognizing these factors and honouring them will motivate you and give you conviction that the change

is essential to your well-being – and probably to those around you too.

4. Yes, you have fears

But are you going to let them rule what Mary Oliver calls this ‘one wild and precious life’?

Are you going to shrink to that fearful and retreating person? The one who says: ‘I’m going to settle for this even though it makes me miserable.’

We all have fears about earning enough money, being good enough – about being enough. Who is the best judge of that?

Don’t hand your power over to imaginary fears about what MIGHT happen.

Start noticing your saboteurs and distance yourself from those voices.

Chances are these are voices from the past: perhaps a harsh teacher, a judgmental parent, a vindictive relative or jealous friend.

This is a core part of the coaching work I do with my career change clients – managing our saboteurs is a lifetime’s work,

but it is so worthwhile to be able to know what’s happening here and to choose to follow your more powerful self!

5. Yes, you are powerful

At times, you may not believe it, but I do.

Think back to a time when you were at the top of your game, when work flowed, you were using skills easily and fluently.

People around could see your strengths and admire you for them.

That person is still there – even though s/he can sometimes get buried beneath daily demands, or doing work that doesn’t

play to those strengths.

Another core element of career coaching is growing my clients’ belief in their powerful self. It’s one of the most rewarding

aspects of this work – to see people re-connect with that accomplished, able person.

6. Yes, you need to get a little uncomfortable

‘Nobody said it was easy’…. And career change is not a straight and simple path. One reason for this is that you are testing

new waters, pushing at the edges of your comfort zone, imagining pastures new.

In truth, doing something new – however small – is the muscle you need to exercise more frequently in order to strengthen

your change ability.

A new hobby, new route to work, new style of clothing, listening to new music, visiting a new place, joining a new group –

all these help to make ‘change’ more normal. Get used to it! Practise it every day.

7. Yes, do more of what you love

This is the nourishment you’ll need to sustain you on your path. Find the things you simply love doing and do more of them.

Perhaps one of these things could form the basis of a new career option. But even if not, they will make you happier.

And when you’re happier, you’ll have more energy and motivation to carry your plans forward.

So, indulge yourself - go and dance in your sunny spots!

No, not just this

You’re right, I’m not suggesting these are the whole answer, nor that these mindsets and behaviours alone will

magic you up a new career that fits you perfectly.

But what they will do is to prepare the ground and strengthen your belief. You’ll be primed to follow a career

change process with its own strategies and tactics to make a new career a reality.

And when the time is right, you’ll be ready.

Coincidentally, working through a systematic career change process also builds your self belief. You’ll be certain that you’ve

made the best decision and have identified work that will fulfill you. You’ll also be crystal clear on WHY this matters to you

and will have the next steps clearly mapped out.

To find out more about the process I use with my clients, please take a look at The Quickstep Career Change Programme.

If this resonates, we can have an informal chat to discuss your situation and how this programme could help you take action to build

the working life you really want. I’d love to be part of helping you build belief that change really is possible!

Do you believe in your career change?