Do you have a job you enjoy or are you just going through the motions? Are you working for an employer you respect or one you don't admire? A lot of people I coach report they are not happy where they are in their careers. Some don't believe in the products they sell, others know they aren't maximizing their full potential. How about you?

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	Why work for a company you dislike or a job you’re not happy at when you can do what you truly love?

I began my quest for career change after a tumultuous 18 months of professional and personal triumph and tragedy. In less than one year, I moved to a new city, was fired from two jobs, and lost my mother-in-law. My search for a new career took time, motivation, perseverance, and much introspection. I can now say, though, that I am doing what I love — I own my own company, an executive coaching and public speaking firm based in St. Louis, Missouri.

My story begins on January 1, 2000. The night before, my friends and I had celebrated the new millennium. The next morning, however, all the festivities ceased — my wife had received a call from the New Jersey police informing her that her had mother passed away in her sleep. For several days, we planned her burial and then laid her to rest in New Jersey. Several days after the funeral, we flew back to St. Louis in despair over our loss. Upon arriving home, I discovered a Federal Express package at our front door.

I opened the package to find a letter from my employer indicating that I had been terminated. Without any warning, I was fired and left alone in a city that I had only relocated to ten months before. After several weeks of looking for a new position, the CEO of a global billion-dollar firm headquartered in St. Louis asked me to become director of sales for a new business unit. From March through September of 2000, I was busy hiring, training, and building a department from the ground floor up. In August, the firm’s owners terminated the CEO, and I, in turn, was fired a few weeks later.

I was fired twice in the span of seven months and located in a new city without a large network to tap. I faced a daunting challenge ahead. After much deliberation, I decided to start my own business. I challenged myself to begin my own company and reap my own rewards. The next person to terminate me was going to be me. I love to motivate and coach others toward better results; I knew that was my career calling.

There are vital steps you can take to reorganize your life and find the work that you truly desire. Why work for a company you dislike or a job you’re not happy at when you can do what you truly love? It may take some tough commitment initially, but it will be worth it in the end.

Take out a notepad and assess the ADAPTING process detailed below. Answer the questions in the process, and you will be on your way toward improved self-knowledge and a possible new career.

A: Assess who you really are and where you want to be. Ask yourself these three questions:

• Who am I?
• Where do I want to go?
• How will I get there?
  

D: Determine what you love to do. Evaluate these areas:

• Skills and abilities
• Personality tendencies
• Values, dreams, and passions
  

A: Analyze what you can offer others. Determine your:

• Desires
• Attitude
• Temperament
• Assets
  

P: Pinpoint specific goals.

• What are your goals in life?
• What do you want to accomplish?
  

T: Target your core competencies and write them down.
Reply to the following:

• What do you want your epitaph to say?
• What do you strive for in life?
• What do you excel at?
• What kind of a person are you? What situations make you the most productive and satisfied?
• What strengths from your personal life can you use to your benefit?
• How are you involved in your community?
• What types of jobs make you think, “Boy, I want to do that!”?
• State briefly what your friends say about your career. How have their opinions affected you?

Drew Stevens works with organizations that strive to increase productivity and build morale for better profitability.

I: Implement a mission statement based on the information you’ve gleaned so far. Cite what it is you want to accomplish and what you want to offer people.

N: Nurture a formal business plan. The SBA offers guidelines on how to do this — contact them at www.sba.gov.

G: Go for it — pick up the telephone and tell everyone you know what you do. This might lead to your first piece of business.

By initiating ADAPTING, I founded Alliance Coaching and Performance. I am committed to delivering leadership, motivational, and sales training to medium and large corporations around the globe. In less than one year, I have delivered seminars to over 500 people in cities as diverse as Johannesburg, South Africa, and New York City. I have approximately six clients whom I am coaching in the areas of both leadership and sales. After a slow but steady beginning, I will gross over $100,000 in my first year of business.

You too can attain the career of your dreams. Follow these steps and you will be on your way toward greater self-knowledge and career development.

About the Author

Drew Stevens works with organizations that strive to increase productivity and build morale for better profitability. Drew helps to protect profits and productivity through his international speaking and consulting services. To contact Drew, call 877-391-6821 or email him at drew@drewstevensinc.com.

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