“IF TODAY WERE THE LAST DAY OF MY LIFE, WOULD I WANT TO DO WHAT I AM ABOUT TO DO TODAY?” AND WHENEVER THE ANSWER HAS BEEN “NO” FOR TOO MANY DAYS IN A ROW, I KNOW I NEED TO CHANGE SOMETHING.” - Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Computers

No means yes when it comes to summoning the courage to make a change.

Every year researchers map levels of job satisfaction across the nation, and odds are this year will be no different. Global recruiting firm TMP/Hudson has estimated that more than 43% of people dislike their jobs. This is reflected in a management article in February 2008 saying 85% of people would leave if a better offer came along. However, better offers are not like buses - they don’t drive past every 10 to 15 minutes, sweep people off their feet and carry them to their destinations. Job seekers must take a proactive, focused approach to job hunting, or they risk ending up in a place they never wanted to be.


You may be staying in a job you hate because you can’t see any better options. Maybe you have lost your confidence, or perhaps you don’t know what skills you have, and wonder whether anyone would ever hire you. Career related issues are one of the major sources of stress for people today. Misfit is also a primary reason for low levels of productivity and performance within organisations. As career expert and author, Po Bronson says, “we are on the verge of a great productivity boom as long as we can get the square pegs out of the round holes.” Career dissatisfaction and the personal and professional costs associated with this is reaching almost epidemic proportions and. The great news is that there is a cure!

Success Tip: Where there’s a problem there’s a cure. You need to find out what dissatisfies you to find out what you want.

Hello! Goodbye
A simple and positive way to do this is to take a page and divide it. On one side list the things that you would gladly say goodbye to, and on the other list your "hello's".

Let's use me an an example
* This year I said "goodbye" to working in town everyday, and I said "hello" to working from my home based studio (she how happy I look - my clients love it too "It's so serene and relaxing" they often say. I agree! I'm far more productive here than I ever was in a windowless corporate box)

* I said "goodbye" to corporate training roles and "hello" to earning income from my creativity. As you know, "I've enjoyed tremendous success with my painting this year and met so many life-affirming people like Max Gimblett and other people working and living with passion)

* Next year I'm saying "goodbye" to so much one-one coaching and "hello" to helping people through my books and freelance writing

Here is one of my clients hellos goodbyes - since doing this exercise she has progressed leaps and bounds. She took up singing and found her voice and her confidence. She's also preparing to make a huge change in career direction bu going back to school and leaving the Government sector for ever. I can not get over the changes in her. It is amazing and incredibly inspiring to see.


How about you? What are you leaving behind in 2009 and what are you saying hello to?

Labels: Career Creation, Happiness