Driving Personal Change

Bringing your job search up to speed or making the desired career move or jump isn’t about changing resumes or sending out as many applications as you can. It is all about understanding how your skills and abilities fit into the labor market and how this relates to important subjects at hand, like cultural differences?(Listen to my podcast on this topic over here).

Nelson Mandela once said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most. When we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

Change has become a major part of our lives. It is perhaps one of the few things that you can be certain about: change will come. Drivers for change are internal or external pressure. Relocation is a driver for change. Different expectations within your current role might be a driver for change. Changes in the market might be a driver for change. Your new manager might be a driver for change (most people quit managers, not jobs). You name it.

Change is different for everyone. Some of us just love it and others don’t. Some changes are big others are small. Some small changes can make a huge difference in your life. So who is responsible for the change?

In the end, you are. You are the one most responsible for enduring the rollercoaster of life. Yet, if you look at how you spend your time, you might find out how little things you do daily are actually the big things in the game of life.

?Let me ask you: How much time do you spend reflecting on what steps you took toward your goals, and what were helpful steps?

Good work takes time and we are traveling at high speed these days. I feel my work as a coach and facilitator consists not only of informing people and creating new insights. To create new insights, we need to slow down. This is why I spend loads of time slowing down and hitting the breaks. If you slow down and see the big picture, it will allow you to speed up again.?

This means stopping your application journey if you don’t know what is expected of you in your profession in the country you are currently living in. This might mean slowing yourself down if you feel you still have to settle after relocation. Or looking into your fears or insecurities and how to beat them before you make the desired change. The fears and insecurities probably aren’t helping you to make the desired change. It is all about being ready for change.

?Are you ready for a change?

To get a solid foundation in your personal change process, it is important to understand where you stand in the change process and how comfortable you are with the transformation you wish to go through. Personal change is an emotional process. Identifying where you stand emotionally, what, and who could help you to accommodate your change, is helpful to bring the desired change to life.

While onboarding new clients or during training I conduct, I like to use the Transtheoretical Model of Change by Prochaska & DiClemente (see down below). I often ask people where they feel they stand in the circle. Are they pre-contemplating, or preparing, or are they already in action mode? Important for me as a coach to know; the different phases take different approaches.

Change comes together with leadership. Personal Leadership. We made change and leadership about big things and wanting to have a big impact, while it is actually the little things in life that matter. Here’s an inspiring TED talk that will help you to understand what I mean.

I have to say, I know the feeling and it is super motivating to receive feedback from people that the things you said make or made a huge difference in their life. The good thing is, everyone, can do it.?

I also notice some of us tend to focus on the things that are going wrong, which doesn’t help to stay focused on the long-term goals and doesn’t help to stay motivated. Small wins are important, as is getting involved in experiences that interest you and building long-term relationships. Nurturing your network and building on long-term relationships have proven to be powerful ingredients for change. This takes time. You have the time.

Conclusion

The key takeaway from this newsletter is that we don’t learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience (words spoken by John Dewey). If you implement this, it will allow you to influence the steps you take toward the desired change.

I am curious about your first reflections after reading this newsletter. Use the comments to let me know!

What to do next?

Round Table Session

Are you a Job seeker who would like to boost your job search?

Please check out the new Round Table sessions in which I will talk you through the most important things you wish to know to boost your job search. Join me on April, 25 and learn about all the things you can do to reach your goal: land the job you desire:

https://marielleobels.com/round-table-kick-start-your-job-search/

Limited seats are available, you might want to save your seat today to not miss out on this opportunity.

Schedule your call

Are there other questions you have for me after reading this newsletter?

I’ll be happy to answer them. You can plan your free 30-minute call with me to discover what I can do for you, no matter if you are a job seeker or an employer! For more information go to: https://marielleobels.com/contact/#call