Are You Hiding Out In Your Career?

Are you waiting for the hiding period to go away on its own?

Since your career spans 30, 40, 50 years or more, there will be moments when you will want to hide. Maybe your workload is burning you out. Maybe your boss or co-workers are draining your energy. Maybe the projects you are working on are not exciting you anymore.

Hiding out does serve a purpose. Sometimes you need to re-group or come up with a new plan. Sometimes your personal life is overwhelming and you need to coast. So, if hiding out is helping you, then continue. But if hiding out is getting old and frustrating, then it’s time to become a participant in your career again.

Are You Ready To Come Out Of Your Shell? Follow These Four Steps Below.

1. Figure Out Why You Are Hiding

Why have you been hiding? Spend time with a piece of paper or a friend to find out. Dig deep and uncover the reasons why you have stopped moving forward. Whatever you discover, make peace with it. We do what we do in our career because during certain times that’s what we need to do. Know that you needed to hide to work things through. Trust that now is the perfect time to try again.

2. Make A Decision To Not Hide Anymore

Change in your career occurs when you make the decision to change. Just like you chose to hide, you can choose not to hide anymore.

Yearn for focus, energy, and direction? Make the decision to have these things. There is power and momentum when you decide to do something. Deciding to have a fulfilling career is your pathway to achieving one.

3. Stop Hiding

Do you want to be safe or happy? Safety costs a lot. Safe keeps you from having a career you enjoy. Most people strive for happiness for a reason. When you are happy, you have momentum. Momentum gives you purpose. Purpose gives you meaning. Happy is worth shooting for.

When you are not hiding, you are living. You are contributing versus going through the motions. You are making a difference.

4. Plan Your “Coming Out”

What is your plan to unveil the new you?

Will you speak to your co-worker to discuss what’s not working between the two of you? Will you have a conversation with your boss to reduce your workload or request more interesting projects? Or, is it time to advance your career by looking for a new job?

Get into action. One action leads to another, which leads to another. That’s how goals are reached; one action at a time. You do not have every action figured out before you act. You just need to get moving again.  

A great career is within your reach as long as you have a plan. It’s not the number of steps, or how elaborate your plan is that’s important. What’s key is you are no longer hiding, and instead, are working towards putting the sparkle back into your career.