The Secret to Finding Time for the Career Your Heart Wants

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Do you struggle to find time to look for a career that fulfills you?

Perhaps you can relate to Sandra’s story. She gets up early in the morning and works out. Then she goes to her full time job, a job that leaves her feeling drained and empty, but at least it pays the bills. The projects at work demand long hours. When she comes home, she has more responsibilities. She picks up her son from some after school activity, and then takes her daughter to karate lessons. She discovers the dog is sick and needs to be taken to vet. By the time she gets everything done, she is exhausted. The last thing she wants to do is any work to figure out what kind of career she’d love, or look for a new job.

Sandra would love to find a career she loves, and a jobs she enjoys. But there just doesn’t seem to be time left for that. So what can she do? How can she find the time?

Do you relate to Sandra? Do you wonder how you, too, can find the time? I have walked in Sandra’s shoes, and felt a similar sense of frustration and overwhelm when trying to make time for my own career transformation.

I want to share with you three simple steps I discovered, which you can take in as little as 15 minutes. When you first do them, they may feel uncomfortable. Over time, however, they will really support you in being in a career that you love.

1. Begin by pausing for moment and imagine how your life would be different if you had a career you love. What would it be like for you to enjoy your job? Give yourself 5 full minutes to really imagine how this would look, feel, and sound for you. How would this affect your overall health and well-being? How might it affect those around you?
    
2. Now is the time to make having this experience a top priority for yourself. Consider how important this is to you and for you. How badly do you want it?
    
3. Next pull out your calendar and schedule time for your career transformation activities. Give them your best time. For me, I think better in the morning, and connect with others better in the afternoon. So for any project where I need to think (such as the work to figure out your strengths, skills and passions, and to do job research), I schedule time in the morning. For things where I need to talk to others or make appointments (like working with a coach and scheduling informational or job interviews), I schedule those in the afternoon.
    
   Put your specific career transformation activities in your calendar and treat those appointments as if they are critical meetings with someone very important. These are critical meetings, and the someone is who very important is YOU! Do not schedule anything else at the same time. If you are tempted to double book yourself or give up this time, then repeat steps 1 and 2 until you remember this is important.

If you have never done this before, you may feel nervous or uncomfortable for guarding this time so closely. But as you do this more and more, you will feel empowered by the experience. And you will be on the path to having a career you love and a job you enjoy.

I challenge you to spend the next 15 minutes and take these 3 steps. And please let me know what happens for you by sending me an email or sharing your experiences below.