As I sit here today, I realize that I have not written a blog post or article for several weeks. Although this may seem insignificant to many of you who are reading career-related articles daily, I have personally paid a price. Being human, I understand that uncommon results come from doing the common thing over and over consistently. I have been remiss.
So rather than dwell on my lapse, I’d like to get right back up and talk about the price we pay in doing so.
I have a career client that I am currently working with who committed to five sessions of work with me, initially, to develop her ideal job or career goal. I do this for several reasons. Five sessions is a minimum for most people to begin to shift and understand that there are possibilities that exist that are realistic and will lead them to career happiness. It also ensures that my time is respected and generally is a motivating factor in completing the initial process.
Sharon, I will call her, had one session thus far several weeks ago. In the meantime, we have scheduled and rescheduled for any number of reasons. This doesn’t mean that Sharon will not benefit from career counseling. But the price she is paying is that being inconsistent in her process speaks to her commitment. The question is, how does this play out in other areas of her life? It takes courage to face our personal truth – that is to be brave enough to say and commit to what really makes us happy – in our work or in life.
As a career counselor, it is not my job to delve deeply into one’s psyche. However, as a counselor, it is my job to point out when inconsistencies occur during the process of defining one’s ideal work. Meeting weekly is one of the ways in which I can determine how committed a person is to his/her process. Sometimes, staying in a job that is not satisfying feels familiar enough, and is not painful enough for one to make the shift. Many of us learn to live in pain and accept this as a way of life. Being consistent in career counseling to identify what will bring us career happiness, being determined, steady and willing to feel a bit of discomfort along the way to get to the “good stuff” can be life-changing.
Today, I challenge you to look inside and determine for yourself how consistent you are in your resolve to find career happiness. I will look inside as well and make a resolve to stay consistent in writing blog posts and articles that uplift and challenge my readers.