Our thoughts are incredibly powerful. Your thoughts cause your feelings. Your feelings cause your actions or inactions. Your actions (or lack of action) lead to your results and those results reinforce your belief system.
Thoughts > Feelings > Actions > Results
When we feel confident and clear on where we are heading, we feel energized, and we take different actions than we would if we feel worried, confused, or fearful.
Our actions lead to our results
When we have thoughts such as, “It’s too late to change my career”, “I don’t have enough experience in that field”, “I’ll never find anything better than this”, “This will never work”, “I’ll never figure this out, I can’t do what I love and get paid well”, “I’m not”…(fill in the blank).
With each negative thought, you stay stuck in a sea of self-doubt, worry, and confusion. It is hard to break out of this cycle. However, you can choose to replace old negative ways of thinking with a positive fresh perspective that will get you moving into action.
You get to CHOOSE your thoughts
Your results are caused by what you have been thinking. But, here’s the good part…you get to CHOOSE your thoughts. You can let the old habitual thoughts continue to run your life. Or, you can start thinking new empowered thoughts that fuel, inspire and propel you into action. Instead of thoughts that keep you stuck, confused, and paralyzed.
Thousands of women over 40 are successfully reinventing their careers, resulting in increased satisfaction and well-being in their lives.
A study from American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), reports that 82% of people 47 and older who transitioned to new careers in the last two years were successful. A whopping 87% showed an increase in job satisfaction and 65% felt less stress at work.
They didn’t have anything special that you don’t already have, except for the BELIEF and CONFIDENCE that they could have what they truly wanted and they could pave the way to get there.
It takes COURAGE, DETERMINATION, and CONSISTENT ACTION. If they can learn to reinvent their careers so can YOU.
Are you ready to try a different approach?
To begin, identify the biggest thoughts that are holding you back from pursuing your dream career. Write them down.
Next, replace your old thoughts with a new inspiring belief that gives you a feeling of happiness, contentment, excitement, or peace. Something that makes YOU feel GOOD and POWERFUL. Write your new beliefs under your old beliefs.
Post them where you can see them EVERY DAY. For extra accountability, share your new old/new beliefs with a trusted partner, friend, colleague, or coach.
Examples:
Old belief: I’m too old to change careers
New belief: Now is the perfect time to find my dream job that makes me fulfilled and happy.
Old belief: I’m so confused. I don’t even know what I want.
New belief: I am discovering my values and passions guiding me to my purpose.
Old belief: It’s too hard to figure all of this out – where do I begin?
New belief: I am wise and capable. I will find the best career path for me, one step at a time.
Use Powerful Words
The words we use have power and energy behind them. Try replacing words like “should” and “have to” with more powerful words like “choose” and “desire or want”. Changing your language to be more empowering and inspiring builds you up and gives you energy instead of wearing you down.
POWERFUL words build you up and strengthen your belief in yourself and others
- Choose, desire, want
- It’s important to me
- Desire to
- Choose not to
- Sometimes, often, seldom
- And
- Intend, aim
- Yes, I will, or no, I won’t
- I know or I don’t know
DISEMPOWERING words keep you stuck and small
- Should, might, must
- Need to
- Have to
- Can’t
- Always, never
- But
- Try
- Maybe
- I think
Examples:
I need to find a new job/career vs. It’s important to me to find a rewarding job/career
I should buy new shoes vs. I choose to buy new shoes.
Notice how often you use disempowering language. It is a habit and you can choose to build a new habit just like a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it naturally becomes.
Your thoughts drive your actions. If you have a thought that you will find a job you love, your actions will help move you closer to that reality. You’ll buy a book or enroll in a course, you’ll connect with people in your network, and you’ll learn what you need to know.