Falling Doughnuts and Best Job Guesses

It's dark, rainy and I'm two doughnuts in to a packet of four. Oops.

I'm wondering if I can adopt the excuse once offered by our younger daughter as a toddler when we asked why she'd eaten?all?of a huge chocolate bar.

"It fell on me".

Hey. It's got to be worth a try.?

After all, in my line of work, people are always telling me about things falling here, there and everywhere.

The feeling you've?fallen?out of love with your work ... the despondency of somehow?falling behind?in your career ... the fear of making a move that could?fall through?... the impact of your worklife balance?falling apart ... your requests for change in your organisation that are?falling on deaf ears?...

But above all the hugely common realisation that you're in a job you never really chose ... you simply?fell into it.

I often invite my clients to sketch out a timeline of their life, so we can start to explore what's brought them to where they are. And when they talk me through?that time, in their late teens or early twenties, where they chose a course of study or landed their first job, there's often a whiff of chance or accident or best guess.

By no means a total stab in the dark, but a choice based on a set of circumstances or preferences, interests or skills that have likely evolved many times since we we were drinking Snake Bite and Black and tumbling out of bad nightclubs.?

Take Dave, now 40. I interviewed Dave for my book,?The Career Change Guide and he told me?"I only went to university because everyone else was going. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was good at languages, so I thought, well, I'll go and do French and Spanish, but to be honest I went to that university because my best mate was going there".

Or how about Stuart -?"I took a law degree, although I'm not sure why. It felt like the choice was doctor or lawyer. My dad was a lawyer, but I didn't really have any careers guidance and it turned out I hated the course".

It's a story I hear time and time again.?

No surprise really. How many of us were lucky enough to know exactly what our ideal job looked like at 18? I barely knew how to work a washing machine (and strongly suspect my husband still doesn't).

So if you no longer want what you thought you wanted when you graduated, or if you're no longer excited or motivated by what floated your boat 10 or even 5 years ago, you're not alone.

Our lives change. Our priorities shift. Our needs, interests and ambitions take on new shapes.

What's changed for you?

Here are?4 questions?for you to mull over today. See what you notice.?

What do you want now, that you didn't want then?

What's important now, that wasn't before?

Who are you in the present, that you weren't in the past?

What have you?fallen into, that you now want to be more intentional about?

I'd love to help you find the work that works for you going forwards.?

Truth be told, though, I'm currently not able to take on any more 1-2-1 coaching clients. Which is a lovely predicament for me, but not so great for anyone wanting my input. Oops again.?

So I really want to find some additional ways to help more people with the time I've got free. But what would you really like??

Short-form workshops? An online Do-It-Yourself course? Small group programmes?

I've put together a?short survey? and I would absolutely love it if you could spend five minutes letting me know where you're at professionally and what you need.

CLICK FOR SURVEY

After all, it's kind of weird that I have nearly two thousand people receiving this email every fortnight, you know all about my doughnut obsession, and I only know you have a career conundrum of some description.

So tell me! And as a thank-you for taking 5 minutes to share your thoughts, add your email to the end of the survey and I'll put you in the draw to win a copy of my book,?The Career Change Guide: Five Steps to Finding Your Dream Job.

I'd really be chuffed to hear from you.

Now stay curious (and watch out for those falling doughnuts and falling careers)

Rachel ?