Thursday, 4 August 2011

Sucked into the Future?

Are you being sucked into the future as if a giant vacumn cleaner was deciding your destiny instead of your own plans and deliberate actions? Unfortunately many so-called "successful" professionals find themselves in this situation as they reach mid-career.  At the height of their powers and earning capacity they are often highly stressed, overworked and with a poor work/life balance.

Instead of taking a hard look at their lives and planning an escape route from the disadvantages of their professional career they convince themselves that there is no escape, and they drift along unhappily for years hoping that the good income will be some compensation for the family unfriendly lifestyle and stress they are experiencing.  Sometimes depression, suicide, divorce and alienation from children are the real outcomes and no amount of income can compensate for those poor results.

There is nothing so sad as meeting highly intelligent, well-educated people who have convinced themselves that change is not possible.  What can you do?

1. Make time to analyse whether you really want to remain in your profession.  Are you simply over being whatever it is you are, or is it the way you are currently practising your profession that is the problem?  If you are a doctor, who is now a full time administrator but you still have a passion for hands on medicine, make the change and take a step back.  It might result in a loss of income or status but if you become happy in your work for the first time in years it will be worth it.  Try and reconnect with what it was that drew you into your particular profession in the first place.

2. Plan your escape.  If there is nothing about your present profession that still ticks those important personal boxes for you then be realistic and recognise the fact.  Money is not everything.  If you want to live a long and happy life you have to make the change.  It may take time but with planning it can be done.

3. List what is really important in your life. ( If it is not being content within yourself and having a good strong family life, and spending lots of quality time with your partner and children - you have a problem.)

4. List what steps you have to take to achieve what is really important in your life. You might be surprised to find that earning a large income and being surrounded by the latest consumer toys does not feature very highly on your list.

5. Talk to the important people in your life.  Get their feedback.  Surround yourself with positive people who will support and assist you to make the changes you need to make.  Avoid the negative ones and the doomsayers.

Go forward into a future you have planned and chosen as being best for you and your future happiness.  Do not allow yourself to be sucked into a less satisfying future due to your own inertia and other folks' social and professional expectations of you. 

Further tips and ideas can be found in my ebook Escape your profession and save your life. (