Get Your SHIFT Together

Charting Your Own Course

Most people want guarantees because they fear the unknown. Some view going down an unexpected or different life or career path as failure. They assert that their fate is predetermined and that they can do little to change their unfortunate circumstances. Change requires courage; not everyone is capable of taking this leap of faith. Changing your career, in particular, requires an optimistic attitude. Results require patience, and, along the way, you may doubt yourself and your decisions. This is normal. However, by adopting a “woe-is-me” attitude, many people remain at jobs or in relationships that make them unhappy. Their self-doubt and fear prevail over their good intentions. But failures and errors are lessons learned. “The biggest mistake a person can make is being afraid of making one.”

Has there ever been a time when you didn’t take a chance because you were afraid you would fail? Perhaps you didn’t apply for a job because you didn’t think you were qualified, or maybe you were scared to quit smoking because you thought it would be too difficult. A simple shift in attitude, or learning to look at a situation with fresh eyes, can make all...