If you feel like your career just happened to you, it’s time to take charge of your career change.

No more being a bystander in your own career. No more just “ending up” places. Here’s how you can reclaim power in your career.

#1 Take Responsibility

Step 1 to taking charge of your career change is simply to take responsibility for how you got where you are.

I totally understand the feeling like you never made any real choices, that you just took what was offered, and just did the thing in front of you. But I know you know that you are where you are in part because you said yes to it at every turn.

So your first step is to own the choices you’ve made and how you’ve participated in ending up where you are. But you can’t do that without #2…

#2 Forgive Yourself

Kindness with yourself is necessary here. You did the best you could. All of the “I should have known better, I should have made better choices, I should have tried harder” – truly, let it go.

You can use this moment as a turning point where you decide to do things differently.

#3 Break Old Patterns

If your pattern in your career is being passive and just taking what’s in front of you, break that pattern now.

Declare what you intend.

Don’t just be an observer, be someone who takes inspired action toward their goals.

#4 Shut Down Any Negative Self-Talk

If your head is filled with thoughts like, ”Making a change will be too hard, it’s too late, I don’t know enough” then it will be really hard for you do make the progress you want in your career.

If you are going to make positive, powerful moves in your career, then you better start with positive, powerful thoughts and inner life.

#5 Honor Your Needs Over Others’ Opinions

Everyone is going to have an opinion. This is not the place to try to please others.

You’ll have to root into your needs, your wants, your voice, and your values, and make decisions from there. You’re the only one who has to LIVE the consequence of those decisions. Your needs come first.

#6 Pay Attention to Red Flags

I’ve had so many clients share some version of, “I knew in the first year of school that this was not the right path for me” or “I knew in the interview process or the first two weeks that this was not the place for me”, but kept going anyway.

Oftentimes, you will get a message from your body or your intuition that something’s not for you. Pay attention.

#7 Make Intentional Career Choices

Know what you want. Go for what you want.

Develop a clarity of vision for your career, and align your actions.

It will feel so good. You will respect yourself more, be more energized about your future and you will be a leader in your career instead of a bystander that things happen to.

As one of my clients said, “It’s time to bring Main Character Energy to my career.”

Ready to take charge of your career? Come see what some of my clients have shared about their experience of making intentional, thoughtful, thorough choices about their careers.