On average, we make 11.7 career changes according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s a lot of rebounds, comebacks and course corrections. I know I have followed my authentic self onto a new path close to a dozen times so far.
Career shifts are never easy, but always worth it. This article will discuss how to overcome the struggles that often come with crafting a career rebound.
Eighteen months ago I created a vision board. Prominent on the board is “Crafting A Rebound.” Little did I know I would make two rebounds or comebacks in less than the two years.
The first rebound was my return to the corporate work world as a senior director of human resources. I wrote extensively about how I came to that decision here, here and here. Since I started my position, I stopped blogging and writing.
My life has been immensely full without writing. I’ve been implementing programs and I have continued my volunteer work for Gratitude Training. In the last nine months, I co-led two teams of coaches and students through their transformational leadership journey.
There Is No Denying The Authentic Self
Today, I am announcing my second comeback.
When the last leadership team finished its journey in March, I knew it was time to recommit to writing and sharing my ever-developing message of love and freedom. If there is one thing I have learned it is when spirit speaks its best to act. Writing is who I am.
I crawled into my writing cave, first tentatively and then with full commitment as I describe in this Instagram post. As of today, I have a third draft of Exiting The Hamster Wheel: How To Escape Stress, Live Free and Reclaim Your Life. There are many more drafts and title tweaks to come before the final print or electronic copy rests in your hand.
Overcoming The Gremlin
In reality, I made the decision to return to writing months ago. Yet my gremlins held me back. By gremlin, I’m referring to my ego, which represents itself through the internal dialog that comes up every time I want to shift course in my life.
Here are a few of the all time greatest gremlin hits from my rebounds:
If I go back to work people will think I failed.
They won’t want me back.
People will think I abandoned them, they don’t want to hear from me.
If I can’t do it the way the gurus recommend, I shouldn’t do it at all.
What if I fail; its better to continue on as you have been?
There is really no reason to change; life is good right now.
But I won’t be able to write as frequently as the “gurus” say I should. I shouldn’t even bother.
If I had listened to my gremlin I would still be grinding life out at a law firm. I’d be miserable and sick if I had let the gremlin persuade me to stay put.
What are your gremlins holding you back from?
Five Tips For Staging A Rebound
What ever your planned comeback may be, it’s time to get started. The following five tips will help you overcome the gremlin. I’ve curated these five tips from my numerous comebacks and those of dozens of others I have supported.
- Follow Your Vision, Always. Everything you do becomes easier if you follow your vision. It is your guiding force.
My vision is a world of love. I have used my work and my writing to create my vision. Every day I do my best to manage and lead with love, thereby igniting a culture shift at my company. Similarly, I hope to inspire others, through my writing, to think differently about how love influences life, work and freedom. I simply won’t let the gremlin disrupt my vision.
What is your vision?
- Ignore The Guru’s Rules. There will always be those who will tell you you have to stage your comeback in a certain way. Unfortunately, life isn’t always so neat. But that doesn’t mean you should stop. Ignore the rules, and remind yourself of your vision. Then move forward.
I stalled my decision to return to blogging because I feared I couldn’t do it right. For years, I was taught “you have to blog at least weekly and send a weekly newsletter or people will forget about you.” I’ve been letting these rules stop my comeback because let’s not forget I have a full time job. I’m also writing a book and I think it’s important to spend time with family and friends and have some fun. If I wanted to sacrifice friends, family and fun, I could follow the rules. But I don’t want to make that sacrifice. I’m won’t let the “rules” stop me.
What “rule” is stopping you from making a move?
- Let Go Of How It Will Look. We can create a lot of stress for ourselves trying to make a comeback look exactly like we think it should. Yet this closes off possibilities, some of which might be even better than what we could have imagined. By freeing ourselves from the outcome, we allow space for even better opportunities.
When I went looking for a job last spring, I was clear I wanted something in the human resources or training arena at a small company within 5 miles of my house. I asked everyone I knew if they knew of something. The first job that popped up from my network was at my old company, medium sized, public company 20 miles from my house. My initial reaction was no way. Yet if I had been committed to things looking a certain way, I would have passed on this great opportunity.
What opportunity are you overlooking?
- You Matter, But You Don’t Count. We make up a lot about what others will say about our comeback. Here’s the thing. While you matter, you don’t count. People aren’t talking about you and your comeback. They have other things keeping them up at night. Even if they talk about you, so what? This is your journey, not theirs. Refer back to #1.
Every time I have leapt, I have fantasized about what others would think of me. At some point I stopped and moved on. It’s the only way.
Who do you fear will judge you? Does it really matter?
- Focus on The Bigger Good. If you are still worried about what others think, then consider how your comeback will serve others. Get out of your own world and see how your comeback will impact others. It doesn’t have to be huge, but as simple as being nicer to your spouse or roommate when you get home at night.
Despite the craziness of writing and blogging while working a very full-time job, I don’t feel like I have a choice. (Of course, I have a choice, but here I’m talking about a spiritual choice). There is a message that wants to come through me. It’s a message I believe the world needs to hear. Who am I to let the gremlin stop me?
How will your comeback make the world a better place?
What rebound, comeback, or course correction have you been contemplating? Are you ready to take the leap? How will you use these lessons to follow your dream?
Tell us about it in the comments below.
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