STRETCH TO REACH YOUR DREAMS

by Now What?® Coaching Founder, Laura Berman Fortgang

It’s that time of year, resolutions and new goals being set to make a leap into a new annum.  A time of reflection and renewed hope.  Nothing new to the person in career  transition .  Renewing hope is a daily, if not weekly occurrence in that case.

 As Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, once said, “Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy”.  That statement encapsulates why most people give up on their resolutions and why career transitions can grow hopeless and come to a standstill.  Hoping is not enough. Hope and faith are important elements but they have to be backed up with action.  A LOT of action!

This economic climate can make you want to give up but that does not serve anyone. In fact, now is the time to get outrageous and become so intense in your desire for what you want to achieve that you are willing to do whatever it takes.  Calling people you don’t know.  Sending out more resumes than you thought possible.  Putting yourself in opportunity’s way by creating your own way of doing things.  Trying something entirely new because you can and because it just may work out better than more traditional venues for success.  These times are calling for a big stretch.

Here comes the other potential pitfall. Earlier it was not taking enough action, and now as your willingness to do so is hopefully growing, you have to watch for the deflating possibility of not seeing results.  At least not right away.  If something is not moving in your world despite all your efforts, you need to understand that there is much you cannot see or fathom.  How many drops of water does it take to turn a dry riverbed back into a rushing force of liquid and momentum?  How much digging does it take before you hit gold?  You may quit too early and never know if you stop believing. 

It’s appropriate to take a break and see what the wind whispers as a new strategy.  It’s OK to change direction or to let your dream change form, but .  Stretching to reach your dreams means taking the bigger action and continuing to take them battling any notion that nothing is happening even if the evidence is not immediate.

Energy moves and so keep moving your world by taking smart action.  You are sending a ripple out and you will cause change.  Think of where you’d like to be in December of 2011.  Work your way backward to today envision each milestone you had to hit to be where you want to be at this time next year.  NOW, plan your first step of 2011.  It will be bigger than you’d logically would have come up with. 

Be renewed, be refreshed and keep on reaching for your career dreams.

Based on Chapter 12 of “Now What? 90 Days to a New Life Direction”, “Following Your Life Blueprint®”.