What’s Stopping You?

Here’s three things you wouldn’t immediately know about me:
1. I love cars
2. I love handbags
3. I love people but I’m an introvert (apparently)

So what? Assumptions, that’s what.

I live in Brighton, which is a city where most things are within walking distance so I don’t own a car. If you were my neighbour you might assume I can’t drive. You certainly wouldn’t think of me zipping around a racetrack in a supercar on a driving experience.

If you saw me on a racetrack in a supercar wearing jeans and my comfy trainers, you might assume I don’t spend too much time thinking about what to wear. You very well may not be able to imagine me dressing for business and selecting from my handbag collection.

If you were with me on a group coaching session or business event, at which I’m dressed the part (complete with appropriate handbag) and feeling super confident in my subject matter, you might assume I’m an extrovert. You would be unlikely to guess that personality profiles class me as an introvert.

Are you stuck in a job?

Are you looking for a new career?

Are you lacking confidence in your abilities?

You could be putting barriers in your own way without even realising, in the form of assumptions.

We develop assumptions about other people, the way things are and about ourselves throughout our lifetime. We live them as true. Our assumptions can change the way we think, how we feel about ourselves, how we respond to situations and how we behave with other people. Not all assumptions are unhelpful or negative, however some are blocking us and stopping us from moving forward and getting what we want.

Do you recognise any of the thoughts below?

Skills and experience
• I’ve mostly worked in one field so I must stay in it.
• My skills are in one sector, that’s all I know.
• My experience isn’t worth as much as a qualification.
• Someone with a higher qualification will probably get the job.
• They have probably already found an internal person.
Redundancy
• I’m not good enough to get the job I want.
• Redundancy looks bad on my CV.
• My skills are out of date.
Money, family, commitments, society
• It’s too risky to make a change.
• I must stick with what I know.
• I should have achieved x,y,z by now.
• I should be at the top by now.
• What will people think?
Age
• It’s too late to change direction now.
• I won’t get a new job at my age.
• It’s too late to re-train.

These are some of the most common assumptions I’ve picked up from people who are looking for a new job or considering a career change. These assumptions can impact on your confidence and narrow your thinking. They can stop you from taking any action at all.

So what can you do?

You can break free from negative assumptions and start to move forward.

When you shine a light on the ways you are limiting your own success you can shift your thinking.

You can shift your thinking away from negative assumptions to a positive fact-based view.

This shift in your thinking will:
• Build your self-belief so you can start to take action.
• Help you to think outside your current situation so you can widen your search.
• Give you confidence in your abilities so you can know your worth.

Ideas to get you started

1. Be honest about the assumption or belief that’s blocking you.
2. How is it serving you? What does it do for you to hold onto it?
3. How does it make you feel?
4. Think of one thing that makes this assumption or belief not true.
5. Think of a time when you’ve done something similar to the action you want to take now, with positive results.
6. What did you do? What strengths did you use?
7. What one small step could you take today?

New thinking can start you on the road to your new career.

Take a look at my video clips to help you find a new career you love. Click here to view my latest video.