Are you hiding out in your career? Are you waiting for the hiding 
period to go away on its own?

Since your career spans 30, 40, 50 years or more, there will be 
moments when you will want to hide. Maybe your workload is 
burning you out. Maybe your boss or co-workers are draining your 
energy. Maybe the projects you are working on are not exciting 
you anymore.

Hiding out does serve a purpose. Sometimes you need to re-group 
or come up with a new plan. Sometimes your personal life is 
overwhelming and you need to coast. So, if hiding out is helping 
you, then continue. But if hiding out is getting old and 
frustrating, then it's time to become a participant in your 
career again.

Are You Ready To Come Out Of Your Shell? Follow These Four Steps 
Below.

1. Figure Out Why You Are Hiding

Why have you been hiding? Spend time with a piece of paper or a 
friend to find out. Dig deep and uncover the reasons why you have 
stopped moving forward. Whatever you discover, make peace with 
it. We do what we do in our career because during certain times 
that's what we need to do. Know that you needed to hide to work 
things through. Trust that now is the perfect time to try again.

2. Make A Decision To Not Hide Anymore

Change in your career occurs when you make the decision to 
change. Just like you chose to hide, you can choose not to hide 
anymore.

Yearn for focus, energy, and direction? Make the decision to have 
these things and you will get them. There is power and momentum 
when you deicide to do something. Deciding to have a fulfilling 
career is your pathway to achieving one.

Whatever has happened to you up to this point in your career 
doesn't matter anymore. (Everyone has a story to tell.) The next 
chapter in your career can and will be victorious if you decide 
that it will be.

3. Stop Hiding

Do you want to be safe or happy? Safe costs a lot. Safe keeps you 
from having a career you enjoy. Most people strive for happiness 
for a reason. When you are happy, you have momentum. Momentum 
gives you purpose. Purpose gives you meaning. Happy is worth 
shooting for.

When you are not hiding, you are living. You are pleased with 
your career. You are contributing versus going through the 
motions. You are making a difference.

Where do you begin? Start with today. Too many moments have 
passed already. If you want something different, you have to do 
something.

4. Plan Your "Coming Out"

What is your plan to unveil the new you?

Will you speak to your co-worker to discuss what's not working 
between the two of you? Will you have a conversation with your 
boss to reduce your workload or request more interesting 
projects? Or, is it time to advance your career by looking for a 
new job?

Get back into action. One action leads to another, which leads to 
another. That's how goals are reached; one action at a time. You 
do not have every action figured out before you act. You just 
need to get moving again.

A great career is within your reach as long as you have a plan. 
It's not the number of steps, or how elaborate your plan is 
that's important. What's key is you are no longer hiding, and 
instead, are working towards putting the sparkle back into your 
career.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it 
might as well be a life you love!  

Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, 
Inc. a successful career and mentor coaching company that has 
been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal 
fulfillment since 1998. We work with Senior Executives, Vice 
Presidents, and Managers who are out of work or overworked. 
Deborah is also the creator of the Career Escape Program™ and 
author of Coach Yourself To A New Career: A Book To Discover 
Your Ultimate Profession. Deborah Brown-Volkman can be 
reached at: http://www.surpassyourdreams.com
http://www.career-escape-program.com
info@surpassyourdreams.com, or at (631) 874-2877.