I recently asked my community this question:
What actions would you take in your career today if you were 100% certain you would succeed and reach your goal?
Most people shared the same one:
I would pursue a new position
It left me wondering…
>>> What’s going on deep inside us when we stop short of taking action towards a better role and life?
Let me share about a time early in my career, where I almost didn’t apply to a new position that opened up at my company.
I worked as a customer service representative there for 2 years.
The position that opened up was in sales, as an inside sales rep.
I remember wondering if I should apply.
I even got advice from my mom who’s always been such a great sounding board. She encouraged me to apply for it.
But I sat for days in:
FEAR
DOUBT
INDECISION
What if I applied and didn’t get the position?
What if I applied, got it and hated it?
What if I applied, got it and sucked at it and got fired!!!!
Oh yes, I had a long list of “What If” questions that weren’t serving me at that point!
Then, my manager asked me into his office and asked me:
“Are you going to apply to that sales role?”
I jokingly said: “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
He said of course he wasn’t. They (him and the hiring manager) thought that I should apply because they thought that I’d be good at it!
Back then, I had to have someone believe in me more than I believed in myself to drum up the courage to apply.
I finally applied and I got the position.
It was a huge turning point for me as I went on to a 27 year sales career that I couldn’t have even imagined at the time.
This one decision completely changed the course of my career and my life.
The hidden costs of not taking action can stack up over time.
For me, it would add up to thousands and thousands of dollars over the course of the next 2+ decades.
Taking action and applying and getting a new position could mean:
💫 More money
💫 More job satisfaction
💫 More fulfillment
💫 Better work/life balance
💫 More joy even!
Yes, you need to find the ultimate motivation, mindset and create the time to execute a job search.
And if you don’t have a mom or other mentor in your corner like I did, a trusted coach can help!
What would you create if you weren’t afraid to fail?