Are you thinking of making a major professional change but are afraid of losing what you already have?
Many people write to me telling me that they feel paralyzed by the fear of losing what they have, even if they are not very satisfied. They are thinking about changing jobs or starting their own business, but the fear that it won't work or that they won't get the necessary income to live stops them.
It is a perfectly understandable situation, we are talking about leaving something that you are totally used to and where you do well, whether you are more or less happy in your current state or not, for something uncertain. An important change generates a lot of insecurity and that means that many people continue in the same situation without taking the step of changing, however much they wish. You already know that it took me months to decide whether to quit science and start my own business because of those two factors, because I didn't know if I was going to do well and because I was afraid to leave what I had and regret it. Especially since I really liked what I had and going back to science after a long break could be difficult, why fool us.
The problem in this situation is that fear is not a good travel companion, it is a great obstacle when making decisions because it prevents you from seeing things clearly. It is as if you see everything through a blurred veil. The point is that if you have been thinking about the possibility of doing something different for a while and you are not able to get it out of your head it is because there is something inside you that really wants a change. But, as a reader told me recently, it is difficult to leave certain situations and obligations and throw yourself into something you do not know for sure how it will turn out.
Of course it is difficult, if you realize we always reach the same conclusion, you do not dare to do something because it is difficult and you do not know how it will turn out. If you are waiting for someone to make things easy for you and assure you that everything will be fine to take the plunge, you can take a chair because it is going to be long. In this life these kinds of changes are difficult, yes, what are you going to do. The question is if you want it so much that you don't care how difficult it is.
Plus, it's impossible to be sure how things are going to turn out, whether you choose a new job or decide to settle on your own. Impossible, and aiming for it will only keep you as you are. No one who has achieved anything has started knowing that they were going to achieve it. It is time to accept it and decide if you really want to make that change so much or if you prefer not to risk it and leave things as they are. Both options are good, make a decision, accept it, and move on. Not everyone has to make radical changes, even if they can. Remember that just because you can do something doesn't mean you have to.
And if you decide to take the step, there are certain things you can do to minimize risks, for example:
- Make sure you want to do it. If you knew everything was going to be all right, would you? If the answer is an excited yes, fine; If you still have doubts, you have to ask yourself if you really want that or is it that, since you are unsatisfied, it is the first thing that has crossed your mind to get out of that situation. Then it's time to stop and think about what you really want (and sometimes it is not easy to answer that question, otherwise you would not have clients). Maybe you need to change another part of your life that is influencing you so much that you blame the work. Maybe you just need a break. Maybe improving your work fixes things and you don't have to make a radical change. But for that you need to know what you want and what is failing now, what are you missing? Try it before if you have the opportunity.I already mentioned this in another article, you do not have to jump into the pool at first, in some cases you can put your finger before (doing internships, volunteering, talking to someone who does what you want to do and tells you how It is really). Find all the information you need and train yourself or hire someone to guide you in what you do not know. This is a good way to minimize risk. For example, I was stumbling for several months without having an income until I decided to hire someone who knew how to help me do it right. From there things changed, if what worries you is having no income and has you totally paralyzed, create a mattress that allows you to live at least six months without income. Of course, that will mean saving and making sacrifices or having to postpone your business,but it is something realistic that will take away a lot of stress. It is absurd to start a business without money, because a business requires you to invest in it. If you do not have an income, you do not have savings to live on and you cannot hire someone to help you because you do not want to spend the money, bad we are. Better save a little and even if you take longer you will feel more secure.
Leaving what you have, what you have accommodated, even if you are not very convinced, it costs a lot, otherwise nobody would be enduring situations that they do not like. It is very scary and insecure and you do not know how it will turn out, so it is important that you are convinced that you want to do it, that you are going to try it anyway. Remember, your great reason is what will drive you in moments of doubt and insecurity because having them you will have, as we have all had.
So tell me, what are you going to do now?
