Not everybody lands or falls into the career or business that’s right for them. As women, as mothers, one of the gifts to celebrate is the amazing opportunity to take stock of who and what we are. Maybe you trained as a lawyer or a teacher or a physiotherapist, and perhaps you are very good in that role. Brilliant even. Your clients love you, it’s good money, it’s taken you years to train, and your parents and partner are very proud of you.
BUT
And that’s the thing. There’s a but.
But you aren’t feeling the love. It doesn’t excite you. It doesn’t make you feel inspired. You’re not passionate about it. You can’t see how you can make that fit around children. You’re wondering if there’s something else.
If you’re asking yourself, could I do something different, could I be someone different, the answer is probably yes. And if you’re wondering, can I really go back to work and be as smart and confident as I was before? The answer is definitely yes.
If you want Back to Work Confidence, here are the top 3 things that you need to do today.
1. Take the first step
Maybe you’re one of the Mums I often talk to who ‘meant to do something when the kids went back in September’ or is ‘waiting until next year’ BUT at the same time you’re actually frustrated you’re making excuses and putting off doing something…
We’re in the second half of the term however it is never too late to get started. You can get LOTS done when you focus and use your time effectively. Look at me – I transformed my business in just four months. I know you can make huge progress in six weeks but you do need to take the first step.
Taking that first step gives you energy and momentum.
It doesn’t need to be a big step. It doesn’t need to be the ‘right’ step. You don’t need to know what the next step after that is.
You just need to take the FIRST step.
2. Tell somebody else
Tell somebody else what you are going to do and when. Accountability is very powerful.
Knowing that you have told another mum or your partner or a friend what you are going to do and when, that really focuses your attention. You don’t want to be at the school gate the next day, “Well I didn’t quite get round to it”. You want to be able to say “Yes I did it, and here’s what happened as a result.”
3. Focus on what YOU want
As with everything in life, once you are clear on what you want, you will find it easier to figure out how to get it. Take just 20 minutes of quiet time to ask yourself a few questions. What do I want? What is most important to me? What do I really want right now? What would be my absolute ideal? Where do I want to be in 5 years time? What do I want my children to remember me for?
The brainstorm post-it exercise might help with this.
In summary, the 3 top things you need to do today to go back to work with confidence: take the first step. You won’t get anywhere until you take that first step. Tell somebody else what you are going to do and when because accountability is powerful. And finally get really clear on what you want so that you can focus on that.
Please do share the first step that you are going to take.
If you like this and you want Back to Work Confidence, find out how to work with me here.
Really useful advice for any mum who’s having a crisis of confidence, Sherry.
Thanks Caroline.