It’s easy to let ourselves slide into our comfort zones and stay there. When you think about it, it’s not difficult to find reasons NOT to write an e-mail, pick up the phone, or go to a networking event to find a job. Have you already thought of any of these excuses?

Here are Excuses to NOT Contact Potential Employers…

• Because of the poor economy, no one is hiring.

• I don’t have my resume the way I want it. The first impression means everything.

• I’m too old or too young to find work.

It’s a new year. Is it time for a new job? As you reassess where you are and where you would like to be, I’d like to recommend a book. I’ve suggested to many of my coaching clients in search of clarity when it comes to a career that they read, Do What You Are.

The exercises help you to narrow your career search based on your personality type (how you process information, make decisions and interact with others). The book then lists occupations popular with your type. It gets people at least headed in the right direction toward not only finding a job, but loving it.

Don’t get stuck with exhausting, traditional ways in finding your dream job. Don’t waste any more time! Jump out-of-the-box. Try listening and following your intuition or gut feelings. 
 

Four Steps to Using Your Intuition to Find Your Perfect Job are…

1. HAVE A WILLINGNESS 
The most important requirement in tuning into our intuition is the willingness to hear the answer. Nothing more.

2. GET TO NEUTRAL
Next we have to open up and let go of our judgments. Release what we hold tight to as what we think is the perfect job or the wrong job. There are several ways to get to neutral but one of the easiest is through this affirmation: "I'm a ready for my ideal job and I don't care what it is." Repeat it until you believe it.

In this economy it's easy to get caught up in the fear and put getting your perfect job on the back burner. It seems that the only thing important now is just having a job. And finding a job in a lousy economy is neither encouraging nor easy, but there is hope. Economic downturns are cyclical and things will get better so now might be the time to take a step back, listen, and consider your values, dreams and hopes for the perfect job. 

When you...

• Believe security and money is more important than enjoying your job.

I ask this question all the time: "What are your dreams?" Most people stare at me blankly, or fish around for something to say (and it usually has nothing to do with what they really want). After exploring their answers further, I've discovered there are certain mindsets that most people have that can subconsciously sabotage their dreams.   
 

If you are having trouble accomplishing your dreams, look at this list…

One of my longtime career and life coaching clients that I admire is Margaret Burnison.  Very seldom do I see people get out of their fear, ignore what others think, and treat their career like an adventure like she did.  
 
I recently asked Margaret to tell her story of overcoming the fear with her profession. This is it.
 

One of the best reasons to pursue your dream job is the impact you make on other people. The ability to make a difference and improve people’s lives, I know from experience, is heightened if you love what you are doing.
 
I got this letter today from a student of mine many years ago and wanted to share it with you.
 
Hi Vickie,

I was talking the other night with friends and we were discussing a college assignment one of their husband’s gives his students.  It was to explain the most profound experience in your life that you feel made you who you are today. 

After twenty-some years in the publishing and printing business, I was getting little hints (I call this my intuition or gut feelings) my career was going to change.

• The actual work became “ho mum.”

• I started running into a lot of obstacles, whether it was complications in meeting deadlines, missed communications, or playing endless phone tag with customers and vendors.

• I noticed more and more I could think of dozens of things I much rather be doing than working.

• It was hard to concentrate, which was very unusual for me.

It’s easy to get distracted just trying to earn a living, and put your dream job on the back burner. We can use several excuses; the economy is in crisis, I’m lucky to have a job, I don’t know what my dream job is, I don’t have the money to get retrained, or I’m waiting until my children graduate from high school. No matter what the excuse or excuses are, there are added benefits to it.

Here are Some of the Benefits of Not Going After Your Dream Job

You can…