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Blazing New Trails to a New Career
Theresa-Maria Napa | WomenCo.
August 15, 2008
Reinventing your career is an adventure. The adventure can be welcomed or not. It depends upon personal circumstances. To some, it is a deliberate intention to change. They are eager to venture out beyond their comfort zone and tap into their potential. To others reinventing themselves may be an unwelcome transition due to job loss, having to go back to work, divorce, or some other circumstance beyond their control.
Regardless of the reason for reinventing yourself, you will be venturing into the unfamiliar. Your attitude will have a great deal to do with your success and dealing with the “gap” from where you are to where you want to be.
Let’s say you know what kind of career you have chosen to seek. Knowing where you are headed will give you a map to follow. Blazing new trails to reach your desired position is where your true grit shows up. Of course,there are straightforward passages as well as a long-way-around to reach your desired job.
I became familiar with the terrain to personal reinvention from corporate employee to entrepreneur more than once. There were long patches of encountering roadblocks where I would get stuck. Our jobs, our relationships with self and others are opportunities to grow inside and out. Everything happens for a reason – the good and the bad. One big lesson I learned was this: when something I don’t want keeps happening over and over again, it is my true self telling me I am on the wrong path. It is time to retreat and know when to quit, especially quit when trying to get different results from others and situations I have no control over.
A roadblock can mean you are going in the wrong direction or it may be something you need to learn in order to get further on your journey. It is up to you to decide which way to go – straight ahead or make a U-turn.
Whatever you decide you want to do, become the best at it. It is the key to getting the best jobs. Continuing to improve will lead to new opportunities. I don’t care if it is being the best receptionist, manager, salesperson, business owner, educator, executive, etc. To be at the top of your terrain will take preparation, being in action and paying your dues. Winners are aware there are hurdles to conquer to being the best. They also know to be the best means stretching to new horizons. To settle for less than you are capable of being and doing is to be mediocre; showing up below potential possibilities.

Naesha
3 months ago
18 comments
Thank you for the article of inspiration! I'll be sure to keep your insightful suggestions in mind as I follow my personal road map.
majesticmarti
3 months ago
200 comments
This was definatly what I needed to hear today! Wow...answers really do come in strange packages
merlin23
3 months ago
4 comments
This article was really helpful. I am going to reorganize my resume and keep looking for what I really want to do. We need lots of articles to help us grow, learn new tools, and have fun. Listening to music again has done wonders for me. Have a great week everyone.
AM_Morgan08
3 months ago
390 comments
Thanks for the motivation and reminder that the path to a new career is not always easy but worth seeking if you patiently keep on moving despite perceived roadblocks.
Insanitek
3 months ago
302 comments
I can relate, in a way. I reinvent myself every day, but only to the point of getting closer to my truest happiness. I kinda know what I want to do, but I'm letting experience tell me if the situation is what I'd really be happiest doing. In the process, I have created a major that barely exists, studying things that haven't really been studied before, and have plans to struggle putting it all together. I'm sure this will lead to either complete bliss or mostly happy.