By Sally Arnold

Do you feel like you’ve lost your sparkle and passion? Deep down is something missing in your personal and professional life.? It is your career path?  After years of working in a job that inspired and excited your professional life is growing rather tired and boring? In this time there have been restructures, revamps, redesigns, more re’s than you care to think about. And now business life seems to have hit a wall. Where has your zest for life gone?

Don’t despair as this situation happens to over 70% of careers. We get to a stage of our life when we expect, alongside the high salary and benefits to still be in love with our profession. This midlife career hiccup is no different to the challenges in a long term marriage. And I ask is it time to think seriously about Creating your Encore? A starring role with an audience who loves you.  Life is too short to stay in a relationship with your job that just isn’t working.

Think for a moment about turning around your career. Creating from the best of you a career path similar to visiting parts of the world you have always dreamt of.  A journey that excites and inspires.  And importantly puts together creative ways to leverage all your years of skills, training and expertise. This time of your life is one where you need to gather up your courage and daring.  Walk along, like Dorothy on the Yellow brick road towards a new future. You don’t have to stay in ordinary accommodation anymore, strike out for the 6 star hotels along your new career path. Immerse yourself in luxury and pleasure.

I have a ton of stories of women who have got to this stage of their career and had the courage to say they need to move along another path. These women want to bring back parts of themselves which have been lost over the past years, in a career that has stalled. A career where they put up with not being valued or appreciated. Or am just bored, have gone as far as they imagine they can go? So how do you make this happen?

What you have to do is find a professional who can help you move along a new path, someone who walks the talk. A person who has had to change their career many times.  A personal Concierge who does not send you to the sights, restaurants and shows every other traveler goes to. One who has discernment, style and understands your needs.

During this time of research begin to connect with the creative part within that may have been lost for many years. The part is your guiding star, and also your true self. You may have hidden this place as many do. Especially when trying to stay current in a career that is not going anywhere. You get on with the job, keeping up appearances but deep down want to be valued and in love with the professional woman within.

It is important to know that you are not alone. Many women who come to me for coaching think that they are the only ones who feel stuck and bored in their career. When I tell them the statistics they are relieved and also surprised. Workplaces are full of people who don’t enjoy their jobs. They stay silent. And carry on with their daily life, projecting a false persona or desperation that is hidden behind a so called confident and fake veneer.

So what is the next step in moving out of stuckness and career mediocrity. This part is all about you now.  Being true to yourself and admitting yes you do need to turn around this part of your life. Do heaps of research on writers and authors who inspire and talk about creative thinking, new learning, be hungry for cutting edge thinking. Be prepared to be challenged by some of these people. It is important to bring alive the parts of yourself that have stayed safe and stuck. And when you find a person who can professionally help turn around your career, make sure that you deeply connect with them. That they are able to hear you. And offer a way forward that resonates within. Yes, a coach is the professional but you are the canvas and need guidance on the paints, oils, water colors etc. to create the next stage of your professional life.

This is a time to reflect and not make any quick moves to get out of your job. It is important to use these months as if you are on a bridge moving from one island to another. You walk across the bridge but do not need to move off until you are sure that you have reached the place where you want to be. By doing this you are also giving yourself financial stability until a new career path emerges. One that contains all the potential to make you feel valued, inspired and alive again.

Read an excerpt from Sally’s book, Creating Encores.

If you are curious and would like to find out more about how this journey can unfold for you, please contact Sally Arnold,  sally@creatingencores.co for a complimentary 15- minute Power coaching session. It is a simple question orientated dialogue to determine your needs regarding Creating your Career Encore.  www.creatingencores.co. Sally specializes in working with global clients, over the age of 40 who have high level career paths and heaps of potential.

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Sally Arnold is an award winning author, speaker and business coach who specializes in moving individuals and organizations out of “stuckness”.  She is able to turn around challenges towards resolution and success through her innovative business Creating Encores.

Sally began her professional life as a flautist in New Zealand. And worked globally. She settled back in Melbourne and launched her own successful gourmet cookware shop, and was then headhunted by a Melbourne store to reinvigorate their home wares department. Combining this business experience with her passion for the performing arts, she sought and won the coveted role of Head of Business Development at The Australian Ballet.