Since I created the D.R.E.A.M pathway to help people create a career they love, I am often asked which step on the pathway is the most difficult; the one where most people get stuck. All of the steps require open-mindedness, some dedication and definitely a smattering of courage. However, the most common place where people get stuck is... M. Making it happen. Having done all the hard work, when the goal is starting to come into reach, we give up. Why?

Why M?

Because making it happen is hard.

The D step (Discovery) is fascinating because it's all about you: What am I good at? What gives me energy? What are my personal values? What is my career purpose? What is my Why? Personally, I could wallow about in the D step for a loooong time. That's why I offer it as a separate coaching programme: the Career MOT. Once we have D defined, we know whether we need to overhaul or fine-tune the vehicle.

The R & E step (Research & Explore) is fun because it's imagining all the possible career "you’s" that there could be. It's creative, sociable, exciting and you end up with a list of things you can explore for the future you. This could be a plan to move towards setting up your own business, a portfolio career, a thrilling early retirement, a fulfilling future. All possibilities that can bring you more joy than where you are right now.

The A step (Articulate) is reassuring because this is where you finally get clarity on what exactly you need to do to create a career you love. You get organised and create goals for the short, medium and long term and prepare everything you need to take that first step - a new CV, social media, website, networking plan, etc.

And then, here you are, standing on the precipice of a joyful new career, ready to jump in with both feet, ready to Make it happen and... you turn around and walk back towards the safety net of your boring old career that doesn't fill you with joy.

Why is M difficult?

Making it happen requires effort. It requires:

• Courage to overcome barriers (fear, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, procrastination)
• A growth mindset (learn from your missteps and create resilience)
• Motivation (know your why, have a direction and make progress, have fun, have support)
• Accountability (who are you accountable to? If it's just you, is that enough?)

Now I don't know about you, but I don't look at that list and think "Yeah, that's me. Courageous and motivated with a growth mind-set, 100% self-confidence, resilient and completely focused on my goals." Do you? If you do, I need to interview you right now as we could learn a lot from you (get in touch!). If you don't, don't beat yourself up. We all need support to make change within ourselves. Change is hard. Don't do it on your own. I'm a coach and I know how to get all those things on the list, but I still can't do it on my own.

M is hard but it's worth it. M enables you to make your dreams a reality, to live a better life, be a happier person, a better friend, partner, parent. Without M, all you have is D.R.E.A. That just doesn't make sense to me. Does it make sense to you?

If it doesn't, book a discovery call with me to find out how I can support you or take a look at the online programmes and coaching products I have created to help you Make it happen.

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