With the world economic and share market gyrations combined with the continuous environmental and social reporting of issues such as global warming, ageing populations, skills shortages, famine, the toppling of political dictators and the continuing war on terrorism who could be blamed for feeling just a little career anxiety?
The reality is that economic cycles in concert with social and political reforms have been going on for decades and centuries! For example this quote “The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced. The arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced if the nation doesn’t want to go bankrupt. People must again learn to work instead of living on public assistance.” is accredited to Marcus Tullius Cicero, 55 B.C!
“The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced. The arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced if the nation doesn’t want to go bankrupt. People must again learn to work instead of living on public assistance” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
In terms of the economic and political stakes, each decade has its own distinct socio-economic markers such as the boom and bust of the naughties, the radical change of the psychological employment contract of the nineties, the financial deregulation of the eighties and the education reforms of the seventies to name just a few. Throughout these decades, despite the issues of the day, many organisations have continued to grow and flourish, as did the careers of many individuals in them.
Despite the reeling of markets and the pronouncements of doomsayers the world, our lives and careers go on. I hear you say, however some have equally floundered and failed. This is true but what are the differences between those that gained strength through adversity and change and those that were weakened by it? Why is it that some go from strength to strength and others flounder and are paralysed by fear? Well part of the answer lies in how we choose to look at the world around us and specifically the world of work and those around us. Sure there are some things that we cannot control and there’s not much point wasting our energy on those, but we can definitely control how we choose to look at these events. Winston Churchill once said, “I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else”. Optimism is also a powerful antidote to doomsayers. Doomsayers cannot abide optimists as they draw strength and power from such as the dark recesses of fear.
Winston Churchill once said, “I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else
Just for a moment think of the bullies and the bosses from hell, their common trade marks are fear and they draw their very strength by the fear and self doubt they arouse in those they seek to control. The point is optimism and hope is our greatest ally and friend of our lives and careers. Make no bones about it, we have the absolute power to choose the lens we look through and history shows powerfully the lens of optimism and hope wins every time. Naturally we have to moderate our optimism and hope with reality, but only enough so as to not frustrate our progress and to forestall obstacles in order to overcome them.
Our careers are affected in exactly the same way. What we want for ourselves in contemplating our career aspirations must be fuelled by optimism and hope – why bother looking at any other way? Throw off the shackles of fear and deprecating pronouncements of doomsayers and immerse yourself in self-determination in the here and now. Build your own fear free dreams and careers step by step. Remember small changes can often lead to bigger ones!
Throw off the shackles of fear and deprecating pronouncements of doomsayers and immerse yourself in self-determination in the here and now. Build your own fear free dreams and careers step by step. Remember small changes can often lead to bigger ones!
Now it’s time to put this energy into action – this is the hard bit for most. The world is waiting for your creativity, innovation and inspiration and history is littered with the successes of those who discovered this for themselves. Moreover there has never been a better time to do it with technology advances driving new career opportunities at supersonic speeds.
It doesn’t matter where you are on the spectrum of career freedom and self-determination. The messages for those that are well down the fear free careers path – congratulations, keep going! For those in the middle ground – don’t give up! For those just at beginning of this journey or perhaps just contemplating your pathway – don’t be afraid to take a big step!
It’s really about choices not chances, so what will your career choices be?
deliberatepractice are experts in helping individuals and organisations develop fear free careers. Call 1300 deliberate (1300 335 423) for more information.