Changing careers after 45? 3 Steps to Truly believe you can today!
Do you feel in your gut that it’s time for a career change? Your kids are graduating and that same job you’ve worked for 20 years just isn’t as fulfilling as it once was?
But all you ever hear is you can’t teach an old dog new tricks and how silly it is. “Just keep working and saving for retirement and in 15-20 years you can retire”.
Well, don’t listen to those voices.
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.” -Henry Ford
This statement is 1000% true. So many of us struggle to believe we can change. And this unbelief can keep us from reaching our goals.
Most of us pre-determine our success based on our current ability or what we “believe” to be true. Yet we never know the real truth until we actually try. We are actually trying to predict the future. We are determining our success before we even begin.
My journey in believing in myself
I am afraid of heights. I mean, I have no problem flying in a plane, but get me near the railing of a bridge or riding in a car along the edge of a mountain and my cortisol shoots through the roof. Let’s just say I avoid these things at all cost. Until last Spring.
I booked a trip to Europe with my daugher through the high school. EXCITING. I’ve ever been overseas. I got my very first passport-I was about to become a world traveler!
I read through the itinerary-Paris, the Louvre, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower. Then onto Munich and a tour of Dauchau. We were to travel to Switzerland. Tour a Chocolate Factory? Sign me up! And then I read, “Ride a small 4 person cable car 6000 Ft up Mt Pilatus.” Wait, what? Ummmm NO. I am not doing that.
My heart started beating and my palms were sweating. What do I do? I can’t do that? What if they make me? Nope. “But where will I wait for the group?”, I asked myself, “in a foreign country, alone?” Ok, how do I tell my daughter. “I’m sorry sweetie, I can’t go on the trip of a lifetime with you. I’m afraid of the Gondola”.
But then I heard a new voice. One I hadn’t heard before, “You can do this!! What is the very worst that could happen?” “Well, the cable can break and we could fall to our death. Or someone could push me out of the car, or…”, said the old Tracy. “Come on. You are not the first to ride this cable car. And if someone had fallen to their death, they would NOT still be in business,” said this new voice.
And then I read something-I don’t know if this is true or not but it worked for me. I read that when you get the excited feelings, rising cortisol, sweaty palms, heart beating out of your chest, your brain doesn’t know if you are afraid or excited. So you say out loud “I AM SO EXCITED!” and pretty soon, you are. And guess what–it worked and I was excited! I mean, I went from being an 18 year old girl, hiding in the floorboard of my friend’s car while driving up a Mountain Pass in Crested Butte, CO to a 55 year old woman riding on a 4 man Gondola 6000 feet up in the Swiss Alps! And I kept my eyes OPEN the entire time! AND IT WAS BREATHTAKING! I am so proud of myself. I am so glad I didn’t listen to that little old fearful voice.
Now, I am not saying I’m ready to jump out of a plane or anything but I did conquer a big fear and created the best memories with my daughter. And it gave me the confidence to think changing careers might be a fun adventure, not an impossible task.
All because I said “I CAN!”
Learn to believe by changing your STORY
We all have a story we developed ourselves, about everything we do and believe. It’s been fed by past experience, family, friends and peers.
What do you think makes one person run a marathon and another think they ‘can ‘t run around the block? The story they tell themselves,
We are literally defined by our story (our beliefs). Put a string of these beliefs together and that is our Paradigm. A Paradigm (according to Webster’s Dictionary) is a pattern, perspective or set of ideas. Our beliefs are shaped every time we win (or lose) a contest. Get a job. Fail a class in school. Get turned down for a promotion. When we are included in the friend group, or snubbed by an old friend. It’s not the experience necessarily that creates these beliefs, it’s how we interpret them. If you don’t challenge your beliefs, they won’t change. And if THEY don’t change-YOU don’t change.
So how do we change our paradigm to change our future? Here are three great ways:
Learn to ignore fear
Fear is one of our most powerful emotions. I’ve heard it said that bravery isn’t the lack of fear, but moving FORWARD in spite of it. More often then not, we wait for our fear to dissipate. But that will never happen, fear doesn’t go away on it’s own. A better practice is to find something else to focus on, accept that fear will be part of the equation but refuse to give it energy.
By focusing on the feeling of accomplishment I would have riding that Gondola, I didn’t feed my fear. Any time that fear started to poke it’s head, I quickly shut it down by focusing on something positive.
Choose to move forward by using Mel Robbin’s 5 minute rule. It is a wonderful book and tool and definitely a must read. Want the motivation to call about the job interview? You just count down from 5, knowing that at “Go” you will do the thing. 5,4,3,2,1 GO!
Focus on what you are grateful for
Gratitude is another great way to change your paradigm. It is IMPOSSIBLE to be negative AND grateful. “Wow, I am so thankful I was too afraid to interview for the new job I really wanted!” Said no one ever. How can we use the gratitude tool instead?
“I am really worried about this interview….I have no idea how well I will do. HOWEVER, I am so thankful they called me to meet!”
“This is a wonderful opportunity to try for my dream job. And Honestly, even if I don’t get it, I am thankful I will finally make some connections in this industry. ” Alot easier to go to an interview when you have decided that even if you don’t ace the interview, you still get a win.
Try a believable version of Affirmations
Lastly, I just don’t think standing in front of a mirror repeating I am a millionaire, I am a millionaire, ever made anyone go from $50k a year to $1 million.
BUT, if you find the connection between what you actually want to happen and how that might happen realistically, affirmations can be a powerful tool in changing what you believe.
For example, you might earn $50k a year right now. You want to earn more. You have no idea how. But you own a rental home. Honestly, you’ve read that a lot of wealthy people have made their money in Real Estate Investments. So to tie your belief with truth, you might say, “If I purchase four $250,000 homes as rentals over the next 5 years, and someone else pays the note on them, I will become a millionaire! 4 x 250,000 = $1 million. I already own one of those homes so I am already 1/4 of the way to my goal of being a millionaire.” See the difference? That feels doable…yes, it’s a stretch and yes, there are several steps you may not be aware of in between, BUT it feels like it is achievable. And when you stand in front of the mirror and say “I am a millionaire Real Estate Investor by purchasing four $250,000 rental homes in the next 5 years, belief starts happening!
Yes, all goals should be a stretch, but you also must believe they are possible.
Just take the steps and the belief appears
It takes a constant conscious effort to start believing you can do something you didn’t think was possible. I would never want to see you stay in a job you are tired of just because you didn’t believe you had what it took to try something new. With , a little practice AND supportive people in our path, we can start making these small changes every day.
These changes help us gain the confidence to try more new things. Little by little, you will change your life and your story. You can start by ignoring fear, focusing on gratitude and reciting daily affirmations you truly believe in.
Food for thought: Failure isn’t bad. Everyone fails. When we try something, either we are good at it or we aren’t. That’s just information. It helps us decide what to do next. Failure is the stepping stone to success. Make a decision, then move on. But you will never know if you don’t believe you can.
Imagine yourself 20 years from now, same job. Will future you be mad you didn’t at least try to make that change? I have a feeling she will. Do her a favor, use these tips to help fulfill your dreams and change careers today.
