True You…Who Are You?

You have decided that you no longer want to stay in your current job or career and would like to change to something else.  Congratulations on making the decision!

What many people do next is they search online for answers about what their next career could be – reading articles, going on to recruitment websites to see what jobs are out there, signing up for this and that freebie or video hoping that it will hold the answer to:

“I know I want to change careers, but I just don’t know what I want to do next, and how to go about figuring it out”

Yet typically the only result this brings is more confusion, more uncertainty, and more doubt.

And the reason for that is How can you figure out what your next career can be if you do not know who you are today? 

How can you know what you want to do next when you are unsure of who you are now; when you are feeling lost within yourself and feeling overwhelmed.  When you do not know what you love about your work and what is most important to you.

This state of lack of clarity is one which many feel when they have been in a career for some time and no longer feel fulfilled at work, or the passion has gone or life changes have put you on a different path as well as all the other emotions and happenings which come with the end of a job, end of a career.

The best way to reconnect to yourself and identify who you are – what you love and what is most important is by getting a clear understanding of your self-identity and your core values.

What is self-identity and why is it so important? Oxford dictionary describes it as:  the perception or recognition of one's characteristics as a particular individual, especially in relation to social context.  "clothing is an expression of self-identity"

Meanwhile Wikipedia has that one's self-concept is a collection of beliefs about oneself. Generally, self-concept embodies the answer to "Who am I?". Self-concept is distinguishable from self-awareness, which refers to the extent to which self-knowledge is defined, consistent, and currently applicable to one's attitudes and dispositions.

The self-identity I am talking about has to do with our deep core beliefs and values.  Those things we know about ourselves (or maybe not, yet) at a core level. 

Being in a career which no longer gives you fulfillment, happiness will definitely have helped to blur the lines of who you truly are and will probably mean when you are trying to figure out who you are and what you can do next in a career you will be using ideas, thoughts, and beliefs which are just not correct anymore. 

Our values influence what we do, how we think and how we feel about us and the world we live in.  When we do or see things that go against our values, we feel sad, bad or get mad.  And when we live in a way that aligns with our values, we feel great – we’re authentic, fulfilled and happy!

Knowing your values also enables you to understand what drives and motivates you AND clarifies what you may want to avoid in life.  Once clear on your values, you can make informed life changes – because you will be able to choose roles, activities and people that support and enhance your values – and avoid those that contradict them.

Gaining a sense of who you are is the greatest knowledge you will ever acquire. 

To begin to understand who you are and at a core level it is important for you to reconnect to you, take a walk down memory lane and begin the self-discovery phase.

So, what do you do next?  Well I am glad you asked me 😊

I would suggest doing a value elicitation test, this is the best way for you to find out what you can live without in life, giving you the answers to what is most important to you. 

Connecting to your true self does not need to be hard, yet the importance of doing this does need to be recognized as the most imperative step in your job/career change to allow effect and lasting success.

Here is my guide with step by step exercises on how to discover your core values.

Enjoy!