Once you’re able to make these four choices, you should have what you need to make the right decisions regarding your career change.
Start With the Why
A good number of people know they hate or have outgrown their jobs, but haven’t much awareness beyond that. They have no idea what to do next, so they settle.
Before making that grand exit, you’ve got to get clear on the why you want to leave before steamrolling towards something new. Otherwise, you could end up in a different spot, but one that you still ultimately hate—and what’s the point of the effort?
Get Clear on the What
What does this new job or career look like? What does it not look like? What’s it called?
Also, a very important question to consider: Do I have any career capital in this? In other words, are you going to be able to leverage your skills, your contacts, and your professional brand to make a successful transition?
Make an Action Plan
Assign yourself daily or weekly tasks so that you know what, exactly, you’ll be doing when you sit down in front of your computer in the name of “career pivot.” You don’t want to freewheel this.
As you complete these tasks, you’ll also likely notice how small steps tend to have a snowball effect and give you both momentum and confidence that this is, in fact, a very real possibility.
Track the Effort
Respect yourself enough to track the effort. Monitor how you’re doing and what you need to be doing next. Set up reminders so you follow up on things when you need to. If you’re going to invest time and energy to make this happen, invest the time and energy to track your progress.