How to Get Through Career Change Resistance

By Sab

Do you ever have moments or days when you just don’t feel like it? You’ve got a plan of action for your career change on the desk with tasks to do such as tidying up your CV, chasing contact leads, making job applications or working on your new business website, and it makes you want to groan? Maybe you make a start then get distracted. Or maybe you could just think of a lot of other things you’d rather be doing.

Well, at those moments, don’t battle the resistance. Don’t force yourself to try and doggedly do something if you’re really not feeling it. You’ve got to get yourself ‘feeling it’ - feeling motivated, energised and inspired.

Put the career change action plan to one side and try some of my tips on how to get back on track.

  • If possible, take exercise. Move your body! Go for a run, swim, walk, dance around the kitchen. Even put your headphones on and dance in the office toilets if need be.
  • Go distract your mind for a bit on something unrelated for a timed period of ten minutes- set your alarm. You can tidy your desk or tinker with your car, but after ten minutes is up, go do your career change action.
  • If you meditate, do a meditation on letting go. Then you can take your career change action with a different perspective
  • Make and use a career change soundtrack. ‘Eye of the Tiger’, some Jay Z - whatever makes you feel pumped up and focused!
  • Find a neutral, different place to do your career change work. Leave the house or your place of work and use a café with wifi or the library. Set aside one hour a week to do this. Being away from work and home will help give you clarity and minimise distractions.

Finally, if you consistently feel resistance in making career change actions, take time out to ask yourself if this new career path truly inspires you enough to take the actions required. Are you resisting because you’re not sure you really want the new job? What can you do to make the new career motivating enough for you?


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