Do you remember the first time you had to stand up in front of the class and present a report or a project you did? Do you remember the butterflies in your stomach, the fear that you would not be able to speak or that someone would laugh at you? At some point, you had to stand up, you made your presentation or read your report, and then you were able to sit down. You survived!
How about the first time you went for a job interview? The first time you asked for a raise. The first time you put money down on a house. Did you feel 100% confident when you took those first steps? Even without 100% confidence, you took the risk, you took the first step. Career transitions, life transitions are like that.
In my conversation with John Tarnoff, Career Transition Coach, we talked about what it takes to pivot to a new job, a new career over 50. There were many take-aways.
- Journal, every day, even for 10 minutes. You will start to get insights into your thoughts, dreams, fears, and next steps.
- Resumes do not get you jobs, your networks do
- Think about your usefulness rather than your bliss, and the money will follow.
- Take responsibility for your mistakes and forgive yourself. You have learned and built wisdom
- Develop your value proposition, your career narrative. This is what you will share with your network.
But the final take-away was, Confidence Comes Last.
Journaling transitions
A few years ago, I sat down to write about the transitions I have been through in my life. Seemed like a good exercise, being that I am a Coach helping people transition to a meaningful retirement. I thought a timeline would be helpful, so I started back at high school graduation … 1971. Suddenly the page was full. Since 1971, I have been through at least 37 transitions! These included many moves to different homes and different states. The birth of two children. Marriage and divorce. Going back to school at the age of 28 as a single mother to get a BS in Computer Science. Starting new jobs, being downsized or laid off, and then starting a KidzArt business that was very successful in many ways.
Continuing my studies, earning a Certificate from Georgetown University in Change Leadership and becoming credentialed as a Certified Professional Coach (CPC). Now I am starting another new business, Hey, Boomer, the live broadcast and coaching service to work with people to Turn Their Retirement Upside Down.
It would be trite to say that any of these transitions were easy or painless, because at the time, many of these transitions were messy and uncomfortable. Some of the transitions I have been through were powerful and motivating. Some were exhausting and depleting. Some I moved through quickly and others seemed to move at a glacial pace.
What I found that helped me through each transition was not the Confidence to transition, but the support network I eventually built around me.
The glacial moving transitions moved so slowly because I felt alone, like I had to power through and make everything happen without any support.
That is where my passion comes from with Hey, Boomer. I know how important it is to have a champion, someone who believes in you, who will listen and be supportive. Someone who trusts that you know what is best for you and walks beside you with encouragement and powerful questions to help you become who you are intended to be. My vision is to build a community with Hey, Boomer that is supportive and empowering and encouraging.
My confidence is building. I jumped into this new endeavor without really knowing too much about it. It was a risk, and I believe a risk worth taking.
Taking that first step can be a challenge. Build your support network, take the step, the Confidence Will Follow.