Are you accommodating or bulldozing your career obstacles?

When it comes to changing career, no-one can deny that you’re likely to meet a lot of obstacles. But are these barriers set in stone?

Early this morning I was struck by an apt analogy. I live, as many of you know, in a Chinese courtyard house, full of charm but somewhat tatty around the edges.

Half way along the base of my outside wall are three stone steps leading up to a non-existent second doorway that was filled in by my landlord long ago. So they are pretty pointless. But simply because THEY ARE THERE, I’d made plans to accommodate them.

Room for a Mini?

For example, I’d thought about getting a VERY small car, which could just squeeze into the tiny gap between the steps and my front door. And I’d decided to dot pots of flowers up and down them  so they were at least a bit prettier.

Recently I was discussing the repainting of my outside wall with the scarily efficient lady who runs a hole-in-the-wall repairs/redecoration type shop across the street.

“What do you want to do about these steps” she barked. “Shall we knock them down?”

It had never occurred to me.

In a flash, my perspective shifted. With the steps gone, I could get a car as big as I liked – that suited me, not my limited environment. And there’d be no need for the flower pot disguise. Ingenious!

Cycling my daughter to kindergarten after this stunning revelation, I pondered. What other obstacles was I accommodating? What other simple solutions had habit, or the status quo, made me blind to?

If you feel like you’re banging your head against the proverbial wall in your career change, ask yourself this:

What am I accommodating?

(long hours, a commute, a perceived lack of skills,  fears and limiting beliefs…whatever X is)

If I bulldozed X, what new opportunities would open up to me?

For example:

What if, instead of keeping your career dreams a secret from your boss, you BULLDOZED your fear of revealing them?

Contrary to expectation, your boss is unlikely to immediately fire you. People understand that it’s a rare person who has one career for life these days. If your boss is a half-way decent person they are more likely to appreciate your honesty and do what they can to support you.

Here are some of the potential advantages:

• Instead of feeling gagged and fraudulent, you’d be able to talk freely with people about your new direction. Your colleagues will almost certainly have contacts – a friend, sister in law, or neighbour – who could be useful to you.

• Instead of squeezing your transition plans into the few, tired hours you aren’t working, you could request time off or a change in hours – say even to a 4 day week if your budget can stretch to that. Freeing you up for interning, courses, or research (without the need to fabricate dentist appointments or ill grandparents).

• Instead of self-doubt, you will feel an increased sense of self-belief. Because by taking these steps towards change  (sorry couldn’t resist) you have sent yourself and the world a strong signal that you really mean it! What started out as a fantasy starts to feel more real.

What do you need to bulldoze?

What new perspective would that give you? What opportunities would open up?

Make way for the Jeep!