Now I know that Grand Designs is all about the journey, the hold ups the stuff ups and the battles with budgets and weather.  But I just wanted to fast forward to the finished masterpiece. I didn’t want to see the struggle to get there.

When I was changing careers I wanted to wake up and know exactly what to do. Pretty quickly, I realised that my longed for lightning bolt wasn’t going to strike. I needed to create the right conditions for career change insights. I had to stop waiting expectantly for an epiphany to arrive.  

Amidst the many insights my clients have given me, these six things stand out. Each of them says something important and moving about our shared aims and experience at work and in life.

If your career change efforts are dogged by confidence crunching rants from your inner demons – you’re not alone.

Let these monologues go unchecked and your carefully rehearsed peak performance can fall completely flat.

Here is what I recommend to help calm your demons when they start giving you the job seeking jitters. 

Five books that span over three decade’s worth of practical, inspirational writing on how to manage career and other change with skill, self-awareness and grit.

The Wheel Of Life is a much-loved coaching tool. I use it often to check for gaps and overload in key areas in my life. My career and entrepreneur coaching clients also find it really useful for recalibrating their personal and professional balance.

I’m keen to share what I’ve learnt about what’s involved in getting a business up and running, and transitioning from office life to solo business adventure.

Comparisons can be brilliant motivators, highlighting or reflecting your strengths and aspirations. However, if comparisons usually leave you feeling ’worse off, worse at and worse than’ pretty much everyone, perhaps its time to change the way you make them.