A few days ago, I was out running errands and bumped into a woman I know that I hadn’t seen in awhile.

We chatted for a few minutes and the conversation turned to her work.  She told me that although she likes certain aspects of her job, she would leave in a heartbeat if she could find something else.  Apparently, her current job pays much less than she would like to be earning.  I asked her what she would like to do and she said “I would like to go back to doing the kind of work I used to do.”

She went on to say that she was still knowledgeable in the industry in which she had previously worked, but because she had been out of it for a few years, she said no one would hire her.

There are several people in my immediate circle of family and friends, who are what I would call underemployed. By this I mean they work at jobs they don’t enjoy for less pay than they used to earn or want to earn.  We have experienced an economic downturn over the past few years, but I am not convinced that our economy is completely to blame for the underemployment situation.  I say this because I also know people who have found fulfilling and financially rewarding work during this period of time.

Back to my earlier conversation with my friend…

I walked away from our meeting wondering to myself if her statement that “no one would hire her” was based on actual attempts on her part to find such employment or if she was merely making assumptions about what was or was not possible for her.

When we consider that we spend most of our waking hours working, it is heartbreaking to me that so many are SETTLING for less in that area.  If you are SETTLING for less in your career, I want to challenge you to question your beliefs about what is possible for yourself.  Start by listening to the words you use whenever someone asks you about your work.  For example, do you find yourself saying things like

“I’m not happy with what I am doing, but there are just no good jobs out there.”

“I’d like to do something different, but I’m too old or that industry is too competitive.”

“I don’t have the right training.”

“I spent four years getting this degree so I need to stay in this field”

If you listen to yourself and you discover that you use limiting language when you talk about what is possible for you, then you need to understand that those words are directly related to the unconscious beliefs you hold.  Where do you think those beliefs are going to take you?  Do you think those beliefs inspire you to think enthusiastically and with an open mind when looking for ways to earn money or find/create work that is fulfilling and rewarding?

Do you really want your unconscious in charge of the direction of your career?  The thoughts you have had up until now have landed you where you are.  If you’d rather not leave your fate in the hands of your unconscious, it’s time to take the wheel.

Write a description of your dream job; make it as detailed as possible and write it in the current tense, not in future tense.  Include what you do in that job and the income you earn.  What kind of people do you work with? How many hours do you work? Who do you serve?  What does your workspace look like?  What part of the country do you work in?  How do you dress for work?  Do you travel?  How does it feel to have this job?  Describe the emotions and allow yourself to experience them in your mind and body.

Do not be concerned with whether or not you have all the training you need for this job or whether or not the job really exists.  The purpose of the exercise is to open your mind up to possibilities and get your creative juices flowing.

Everything that exists in the world today began with a thought.  Where are your thoughts about work taking you?