Career coaching and career planning "Your next midlife, midcareer move calls for action."

Career coaching article: When your next move calls for action. Stuck? Wondering what to do? Don't get caught in the self-analysis trap: months, days and even years of "thinking." I've met dozens of people who think "getting free" begins with an armchair, a self-help book and a beer. Action creates energy. Have you ever spent a whole day driving? Lying on the couch with a book and a heavy-duty remote control? At the end of the day you're exhausted. Action fuels thought. You can sit on a couch all day with the self-help book, but how will you complete the exercises? The world looks different as you sit in your living room. When you get off the couch and face the outside world, your answers will change. Action is a test of your readiness to change. Are you thinking of hiring a career consultant? Before you pick up the phone, take some small action on your own. Get a list of articles from the library or web. Make some phone calls. Are you moving? That's a good sign. Want to change? Do something different. In a tape version of her recent book, , Natalie Goldberg advises writers to overcome blocks by changing small elements of their lives. Take a different route when you walk home, she suggests. If you normally drive with your left hand on the steering wheel, try the right. Some ideas: Do something alone that you normally do with others: shopping, traveling, eating in a restaurant. Do something with others that you normally do alone. If you have a routine for evenings or weekends, find new activities. In his book, H Allen Wheelis pointed out that changing yourself is pretty simple. If you want to stop being a thief, don't steal. If you want to be a writer, write. Sounds simple -- but it works. Sometimes, if you are lucky, external events force you to change in a positive direction. Rent the video The Closet (Le Placard). The hero begins as a stereotypically dull accountant. As people begin to believe he is gay, they treat him differently -- and he grows into a new, more powerful person. If you are really, really unhappy, but you can't get yourself to take even one action step to change your situation, consider some form of psychotherapy. Sometimes you are at a point in your life when it's time to do nothing, but inability to act can signal serious problems, such as clinical depression. Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. Author, Career Consultant, Speaker *Fast Track to Career Freedom* http://www.movinglady.com cathy@movinglady.com 505-534-4294 ALIGN=LEFT> If you want to get started on your own action plan, . Most of my clients feel energized right away and their actions lead to wonderful changes in their careers and their lives. Read . get articles delivered to their email inbox every month. -------------------------------------------------------------- You may forward, reprint or post this article anywhere, if you include the following resource box: Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. is an author, career coach, and speaker. She works with mid-career professionals who want to make a fast move to career freedom. Visit her site http://www.movinglady.com or call 505-534-4294. For her free ezine, visit http://www.movinglady.com/subscribe.html Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. Author, Career Consultant, Speaker *Fast Track to Career Freedom* http://www.movinglady.com cathy@movinglady.com 505-534-4294 ALIGN=LEFT> If you want to learn more, . NEW!