Any time you find yourself feeling stuck, ask yourself one simple question. "Do I need action or introspection right now?"
Looking back over the last eight years of helping people find careers that light them up, I see so much stuckness boiling down to two things: not enough action, or not enough introspection.
More introspection
Action is great. Nothing gets done without it. But without pairing it with the frame of reference created by introspection, you run a real risk of taking action just for the sake of movement. At best that leads to a lot of wasted energy. At worst, it takes you out of the frying pan and into the fire, again, and again, and again.
For the clients who come to me stuck because of an over-emphasis on action, much of the value of our work comes because it forces them to slow down and really assess, "Who am I? What energizes me? What life do I want to create?" We create more clarity so they can have a solid foundation that lets them get more traction when they do take action.
More action
An over-emphasis on introspection is just as much of a trap. You can build the world's best framework for knowing what's right for you and where you want to go, but if you just keep digging and exploring and getting an ever deeper understanding of what makes you tick, ten years can pass and you're still standing in the same place.
For the clients who come to me with self-awareness coming out their ears, often a big part of the value comes from creating structure and accountability to help them move forward. They already have a lot of the clarity they need, and their real challenge is taking consistent, persistent action based on that insight so they can start getting traction.
Which do you need right now? Action, or introspection?
--
Time for a career change? Launch it with...
The Occupational Adventure Guide:
A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams
--
by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst
Comments