The # 1 MISTAKE people make about career transitions

Here is an embarrassing admission….

I was on active duty, assigned to V Corps in Wiesbaden, Germany, and recently returned from a year-long Afghanistan deployment.

It was almost mid-June, and the weather was finally starting to feel like summer. David and I had an incredible trip over Memorial Day weekend visiting Normandy, and we were super excited for our next adventure, which was to celebrate our June birthdays with trips to Bavaria and Berlin.

But a few days before our trip to Bavaria, I learned I was a non-select for Lieutenant Colonel again. I had been a non-select the previous year, which I learned about while still deployed in Afghanistan, and it was also when I learned the military was drawing down.?

Despite the upsetting news when I was non-select the first time, I was confident there had been a mistake, and I would be selected the next time. I even took action to correct what might be a mistake in my board file to improve that chance.

I received this terrible news of not being selected again via a cell phone call from my immediate supervisor while standing in the Customer Service line at the PX.

I realized immediately what the call was probably about when I saw the caller ID. I had to step out of line for the tears brimming in my eyes. I struggled to keep my voice steady while talking to my boss to acknowledge what he was saying, which was my military career was ending, whether I liked it or not.

I left the PX immediately after the call ended and went home. I didn't even remember why I was standing in Customer Service. I told David and cried some more. My emotions ran the gamut of anger for not getting selected, worry about what to do next since I didn't have a transition plan, bewilderment at how I didn't get selected, and second-guessing myself and my career to get to this result.

I was an emotional wreck and suggested to David that we not go to Bavaria and Berlin. Our birthdays were coming up, we had Lindsey Sterling concert tickets in Berlin, and we would take the fast train for the first time, but I was not feeling touristy or adventurous.?

David, however, remained calm and suggested that the trips would be a good distraction. We would start figuring things out after the long weekend. We also decided to wait to tell the family since their questions would likely be a firehose.

So, we made the trips, had a good time, and returned to the reality that my career was ending, and we still had no plan. Regardless, we had to tell the family about the situation.

In a call to my sister, I described not being selected for the second time, what that meant for my future, and that I was flabbergasted about why I was not selected based on my successful career.

Her response wholly and abruptly snapped me out of my pity party and emotional rollercoaster. It was like a lightning bolt of clarity.

The # 1 mistake that people make about career transitions is they think what they have or get is directly due to their efforts.

She said, “Emma, you're trying to figure out the woulda, shoulda, coulda of what happened, but it had nothing to do with you. The system changed, and you got LAID OFF.”

I realized she was exactly right. I was focused in the rearview mirror on things that were no longer relevant, and none of my rationalizations mattered because I, honestly, would never know. The military drawdown changed the rules or expectations for promotions, and my efforts had nothing to do with it.

HERE IS THE TRUTH…?

If you are successful in your career,?enjoy what you are doing, and feel fulfilled,?you have all 5 elements of the puzzle under control.

But, if you are in career transition (whether on your initiative or not),

not acknowledging these 5 elements?will cause you to be:

• confused
• uncertain
• indecisive
• inefficient
• take fewer actions,?

and ultimately,?these cost you time and opportunity.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I employed the Solving the Transition Puzzle Paradigm to my situation to get laser-focused, created an intentional career transition plan, and connected to a desired entrepreneurial opportunity in less than 6 months.?

Even though I was initially overseas,?had no plan, no business experience, no warm market, and knew no one for referrals when I started.

If you want to learn about the 5 Essential Elements for Solving the Career Transition Puzzle, then make sure to join me in an upcoming webinar!

It will be on Thursday, Jun 29, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Central on Zoom.

REGISTER at this link:

In this free training, I will explain:

1. the importance of having A Picture,
2. why self-awareness is the key to confidence,
3. how purpose is your energy battery,
4. that you have to understand your surroundings, and
5. routines are how life happens, and you are judged as successful (or not).

You will walk away feeling more decisive about a potential future, confident that you can achieve it, and excited to take intentional action steps to get closer to it.

The chaotic middle of your transition puzzle will not seem as overwhelming, and you will have more focus and clarity to manage it better.

I rarely run this training in a webinar, so register while it's available!

Here's a link to the LinkedIn Event Announcement:

I look forward to a conversation soon!

Sincerely,

#CareerTransition #TransitionStory #SuccessIsAJourney