the joys of following your heart!
I recently left my life as I knew it, to start afresh and follow my heart. I left my friends, my job, my apartment, sold all my furniture, my car, left the city I’d called home for six years and the country I’d called home for 12. Yes, it was bloody scary at times but also super exciting! Fast forward a few months and I’m now settling into my new life in Italy and working with people from all over the world via Skype. The miracles of 21st-century technology!
You see the time had come to practice what I preach, and take a leap into the unknown. Having hit the big FOUR ZERO not so long ago, I couldn’t get past the thought that I’ll be working for another 20 or 30 years. Could I really stay in my role and profession for that long? What did I want to be doing, where, with whom, and how?
In my role as a recruiter, I was lucky enough to coach a number of people who were at a crossroads in their life and career. They felt stuck and were looking for more fulfilment. With my help, many of these lovely people found enormous happiness and success, even if I do say so myself! But career coaching was a very small part of my old job and really not what I was paid to do, which was to find the right candidates for my clients’. And then, BOOM, it finally became clear! I wanted to be a career coach.
A lot of the coaching work I do is about following your heart, finding your passion and purpose, doing what you love or, as I often refer to it, ‘Finding Your Sweet Spot’! My sweet spot was definitely ‘career coaching’. But the only way I could do it full-time was to feel the fear, bite the bullet, go all-in or go home. So, I did!
Changing jobs or careers can be daunting and knee-jerk moves don’t pay off. It took planning and preparation, investigating and investing in myself, as well as a lot of deep breaths and self-belief. Then, on February 2017, I left my comfortable job of 10 years, the stability of a salary, the structure of working in an office, the direction of a big boss, the procedures and processes of working towards set targets and the day-to-day routine. And I can honestly say it’s been one of the best (and biggest) decisions I’ve ever made!
If you feel it’s time to look at a new career path but not sure where or how, these questions can help to get perspective and lead you to a job you love.
What are you doing when you are at your happiest?
What are your proudest career moment to date?
What are the top 3-5 things you love about your work and want to do more of?
What are the 3-5 things you don’t like about your work and want to do less of?
When you hear about other people’s jobs and work, what roles and industries interest you?
Now those are pretty easy to answer. This one might take a bit of time!
What do you want to be doing in one, three, five and 10 years from now? And think about where you’ll be if you don’t have a plan!
Let yourself dream a little here. If I hadn’t dreamed it was possible, I would never have taken the plunge.
If you feel it’s time follow your heart, please drop me a line at adele@finchst.com. I’m more than happy to discuss your career future in a free 30-minute consultation.
MEET: Adele Leah Founder of Finch St.
Finch St. is a specialist career consultancy run by leading industry experts who know career development from the ground up. We offer personalized career coaching for graduates right through to senior executives.
Learn more about Finch St and how to get launched into your business career HERE!
