Page 154 - Talane Miedaner - Coach Yourself to a New Career_ 7 Steps to Reinventing Your Professional Life (2010)

142 COACH YOURSELF TO A NEW CAREER

a starting point—easily done and within his budget, whereas own-
ing a sailboat was not.
Don’t wait until you have the time and money, because by then
you may be too old to enjoy it. If you are interviewing and fac-
ing rejection, doing something you like will give you pleasure and
energy, making you more attractive to your potential employer.
What about travel? Have you been thinking about the places
you’d like to go once you have a stable job? You don’t have to wait
until your ship comes in to start traveling. You can fly as a courier
for a nominal fee. Volunteer for a charity abroad. There are loads
of ways to work and travel: join the Marines, take up travel writing,
teach English abroad, work on a cruise ship. One client said she
wanted to go to Italy but was waiting for someone to travel with. I
said she should go anyway, and she did and ended up meeting her
future husband there! Stop waiting to live, and get out there now!
Are you waiting until you stumble across the perfect career or
job? Don’t quit your day job while you start your search for the
ideal career. Use your evenings and weekends to launch your
home-based business or to take courses that interest you. Simplify
your life and downsize if necessary so that you’ll be able to afford
to take some risks and experiment with going back to school
for new training or start writing that novel. Don’t wait until the
moment is just right. Now is the time to enroll in those evening
classes or to start moonlighting with a sideline business.

Take a Course or Class That

Energizes You and Plays to Your
Ideal Career

Try taking a class that leaves you energized and full of vitality.
Have a go at ballroom, swing, or salsa dancing. Take a creative
writing class. Sign up for tennis lessons. Give pottery, painting,
or woodworking a whirl—whatever appeals to you. People can tell