Apr 23
In the Office – Starting a new career
Q. My career is in investment banking but my passion is cooking. I’m afraid I won’t be able to support my family starting out in a new career but I dread going back to investment banking. What should I do?
A. Great question! Many people are afraid to make the shift from the security of their current work to following their dreams because they believe it needs to be one or the other. The reality is there are infinite options in between. When making any move it’s helpful to chunk the process down into small digestible steps and it starts with your mindset.
It is important to acknowledge your commitment to a new career in cooking. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not committed, 10 being totally committed) how committed are you to doing whatever it takes to have a career in cooking? If your scale is 1-3, there is no commitment, so stop here. If you are at 8-10 there is total commitment; continue reading. If you are between a 4 and 7, you are in no man’s land; which typically means you’re not totally committed so you will dabble, claim you “tried everything” and quit. If you find yourself there, it’s important to ask what would it take for you to reach 8-10? If there is nothing, then stop now. Often the biggest obstacle people face in reaching the 8-10 scale is their limiting beliefs about taking the next step. Understanding these limits will be important in moving toward your dream career.
List all the limiting beliefs you have around making the career move. How much money do you believe you will make? How much time do you believe it will take for you to reach your career goal? What do you believe is the cost of making this career move? Once you have identified your limiting beliefs around the move, it’s important to question those beliefs. Are they absolutely true? Could there be any other options besides the limiting one you have focused on? Where possible, flip your limiting beliefs to something positive you can believe. For example, you have the limiting belief: “I will have to start off as a sous chef making very little money and working long hours if I want to be a chef” …flip: “I could find an alternative food provider and work there.”
With your new alternate beliefs, list all the ways you can gain experience in your passion while maintaining your current career. Think outside the box and force yourself to come up with 10 or more ways you could begin to transition careers. Then clearly define the result you want and set a date for progress. Remember it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Each week commit to making a small step toward that move.
Right now, you may not see a path to the food industry that provides for your family financially, however, with clearly defined goals and manageable steps to get there you can achieve what you really want instead of settling for what you have. Where there is passion and commitment there is a way to make money.
Laura Treonze, serves as Chief Life Strategist with LMT Consulting, which helps executives and teams create massive success through self-awareness. Her life-changing approach has transformed individuals and families and has redefined the way non-profits and corporations “do” business.
