Who You Must Become to Land Your Dream Career

Going after your dream career can be frightening. 

You may have moments of doubt, feel paralyzed by fear, or struck by a case of imposter syndrome (who am I to go after this dream?)

When I left my decade-long career in corporate communications to pursue my dream role as a career coach, I experienced many moments of fear & paralysis.

"Can I really do this? What if I can't pay rent? How can I attend networking events to share my services? I'm an introvert!"

Followed by the occasional silent-mouthed scream "Help!!"

However, here is what I finally realized....

Feeling scared to make a career change is NORMAL. 

You can feel those feelings & STILL take action.

But every day that you wake up, & don't take an action to move yourself closer to your goal..... you are putting on your "fear" suit.  

I want you to rip that suit off and try a new one on for size.  

The Power Avatar Technique:

1. Create your very own POWER AVATAR.

Set aside your career goal for a moment…. And focus instead on WHO you want to become. 

Who do you need to BE in order to achieve your dream career?

I want you to detach yourself from your "fear" identify & replace it with a new one. 

How do you WANT to see yourself?  

2. What does she look like?

Bust out a blank piece of paper and draw a rough sketch of her in the center. 

Or if you prefer, google an image of a strong role model from a movie (think: Wonder Woman, Daenerys from Game of Thrones, etc) or perhaps an activist you look up to.

Print out an image of her and tape it in the center of the page. 

Or perhaps it's an old picture of yourself when you were at your mentally & emotionally strongest.

The idea here, is to get a clear VISION of your Power Avatar.

3. Give her a name.

Write your Power Avatar's name at the top of the page.  

Her name should signify strength, courage, & fearlessness to you.

4. Get to know her.

Now REALLY get to know this new identity - every aspect of who she is.

Answer the following questions about your Power Avatar.

-What are the kinds of THOUGHTS & BELIEFS that go through her head?

For example….

“I’m on an exciting journey! Each day is an adventure.”

“No one can hurt me without my consent.”

“Each day, I grow stronger & stronger…. Physically, Emotionally, & Mentally.”

-How does she FEEL?

For example...

“Confident.”

“Strong.”

“Brave.”

-How does she ACT?

For example...

“With kindness, courage, and dignity.”

“Without second-guessing herself.”

“With a quiet confidence.”

“Without the need to prove anything to anyone other than herself.”

-How does she MAKE DECISIONS?

For example…. Perhaps she asks herself...

“Will this action move me closer to POWER or closer to PAIN?”

“Does this action align with my VALUES?”

“Does this action align with my CAREER VISION & LIFE VISION?”

“What would I tell my daughter to do in this situation?”

-What are her DAILY HABITS?

For example...

“She meditates for 30 minutes each morning.”

“She exercises 5 X / week.”

"She goes to 3 networking events / week."

“She eats protein, fruit, and vegetables to FUEL herself.”

“She breathes deeply in times of stress.”

-How does she LOOK AT LIFE? How does she view the world?

For example...

“Failure is a stepping stone towards success.”

“You either win or you learn.”

“Control the controllables. Release the rest.”

“The journey itself IS the destination.”

5. Create a Visual

Now transfer what you've written above to create a "spoke diagram" around the image/sketch you created on your blank piece of paper.

Each spoke should describe different aspects of who she is based on what you've written above. (How she thinks, feels, acts, makes decisions, habits, life view, etc)

6. Bring her to life

Now it's time to bring her to life. Select a TRIGGER item - something tangible you can touch, wear, etc to signify when you are ready to step into her suit.

For example: A special pin, pair of glasses, a special ring or jewelry item, etc. Or perhaps it's a special item you keep in your purse or pocket that you can grab hold of.

Selecting a trigger item is a powerful form of NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming.  

NLP teaches that we constantly make "anchors" between what we see, hear and feel and our emotional states. While in an emotional state if a person is exposed to a unique stimulus (sight, sound or touch) then a connection is made between the emotion and the unique stimulus. 

7. Try on the suit.

Now I want you to get to know this person even better. Take a look at your diagram every morning.  

When you start to have moments of doubt creep in about your career change or feel paralyzed throughout the day... activate/put on your trigger item.  

Now ask yourself, "What would {insert your Power Avatar's name here} do, think, feel right now?"

Once you identify that... I want you to mirror her. 

THINK like her. ACT like her. Develop HABITS like her.

And what I will tell you is that eventually....... the FEELINGS will follow!

Ready to take your first step towards becoming your Power Avatar, so you can go after your Dream Career?

Start the discovery process to learn what your dream career truly is.

CLICK HERE to download your Free Surefire Guide to Finding Your Passion.

Let’s do this.

Betty Kempa, CPC, ELI-MP, is an executive career coach helping mid to senior-level corporate women transition out of unfulfilling jobs and into their dream careers. 

Visit: bettykempa.com

Contact: [email protected]