Get Motivated And Follow The Seven Steps To Success With BBC Brainsmart

By BBC Brainsmart

Posted in: How to overcome fear & obstacles

Anyone can make a career goal; that's easy. The hard part is staying energised and not giving up. In this article, BBC Brainsmart share a video on how stay motivated, as well as their seven tips to success which can help you with your career change.

Seven Steps To Success

Step 1: Decide on your goal, and know your deadline.

It's important to be absolutely clear on what your goal is, so you'll know when you get there. A goal like 'become famous' for example is no good, it's too vague.

'Complete an animation course, create a 5 minute showreel and apply for work experience at 5 companies' is much better. It might sound like a lot of hard work, and it will be. But now you're clear on exactly what you need to do.

If there isn't a natural deadline, like an exam, then choose a deadline, and write it on your calendar. This might move, but you need a date to focus on.

Step 2: Make an effective plan

Use the Brainsmart planner and tips sheet to organise everything you have to do in the time you have to do it.

Step 3: Think ahead: What sort of help will you need?

Look round corners — you now know what you've got to do and when, but will you need any expertise or practical help to get there? If so, don’t leave it to the last minute, contact people early. Get a career coach on your side to help with your career change, or find mentors to help you get insider knowledge in the field you wantg to break into.

Step 4: Stay motivated

A big goal will require a lot of hard slog, and a lot of persistence. You need to keep your energy and enthusiasm levels high, and this is within your own control. The video above shows you how to motivate yourself.

Step 5: Don't get stressed

Easier said than done when your project starts to go off the rails... but if you understand what stress is, you’ll be able to manage it better. Try to look at the bigger picture and remember your long-term goal, this can help you overcome challenges along the way.

Step 6: Prepare for the Big Day

Many people’s goals involve a ‘performance’ of some kind at the end, whether it’s an exam, a job interview, or an important audition. Anxiety about this big event can ruin all your hard work just when it matters. However you can reduce your anxiety greatly by taking control of the situation. Successful sportspeople know how to do this, and here's how the rest of us can learn from them.

Step 7: Perform like a champ when it counts.

Time for another lesson from the world of sport psychology. Your brain’s like a computer in the sense it only has a certain amount of capacity for conscious thought. Worrying and wobbles are the result of your mind focusing on scary imaginings of Bad Stuff Happening. If you can, increase your focus on the positive aspects of what you need to do, then you’ll have less mental space left for anxious speculation. Manage your mind, in other words. Decide in advance what you're going let it think about — it'll make a big difference.

Got all that? Now, go for it!

Leave a comment below: How do you stay motivated in your career change journey?

BBC Brainsmart  is a  fun, user-friendly website that teaches about the brain and how to get the best out of it.


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What people are saying about Careershifters

“Thanks to Careershifters I'm shifting my career! Have been thinking for a while about the direction I'm going in and after looking at your website and reading some of the advice I realised that I've got to go for it.”

Justine

"Careershifters helped me realise that there were many small steps I could take towards improving my job satisfaction. Gaining greater focus has given me a renewed enthusiasm for my work, giving me the confidence to negotiate a one year sabbatical."



Cath Rooney

"The Careershifters workshop started me on the path to changing from the Practice Manager of a GP Practice to Community Engagement work that meets the needs I identified at the workshop."

Diane Cassidy

“As of yesterday, I officially have a new career and start my new and exciting role next week! So a massive THANK YOU to all of you at Careershifters for your support. You really do deserve every success in what you're doing.”

Liz

"For 17 years I worked in the travel industry. In the period of unemployment and after attending the Careershifters workshop I retrained and am now employed as a trainer and coach. I'd recommend the workshop to anyone who may not know what they want to do."

Paul Kensett

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Lindsey

“After attending a Careershifters workshop I had the energy and drive to start researching how to get into teaching. I applied for a course, had an interview, got a place and left my old job in less than a week. It was so easy when I finally decided to go for it.”

Nikki

"The Careershifters workshop helped me realise that it’s never too late to change your career, that these advances take time and, I am confident that if I stick with my ‘plan’ I won’t make another wrong career move."

Claire Coveney

"I had a career in sales and now I run my own sales training company.  The Careershifters workshop gave me the motivation to get on and do things, as well as some good direction with regards to the sort of activities I needed to put in place."

Matt Hayden

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