by Kenneth W. Christian

Feeling overwhelmed, complaining of boredom, and wishing for another assignment, boss or career option are just a few warning signs you’re sabotaging your own efforts and not reaching your true potential at work.

Unfortunately, many people ignore these internal messages. Instead of addressing the warning signs, many people continue working as always, producing the same if not fewer results, and then wonder why they get passed up for the promotion or lose the sale.

Why do so many American workers behave this way? Quite simply: Fear. Fear of failure; fear of making a fool of themselves; fear of rocking the boat; and fear of upsetting whatever success they currently have.

They’re fearful of changing what they do or how they do it because they’ve developed self-defeating habits that keep them where they are.

They reinforce those habits and beliefs by repeating such phrases as: “I can’t write reports,” I hate e-mail,” and “I can’t conduct a good meeting.”

In this way, they unconsciously narrow all the ways they could possibly change and improve their work life. Their thinking and their language make them believe they can’t change because it’s not worth the effort.

In reality, change is possible for everyone. To desire it is not enough. At a minimum, it requires a clear-cut decision and a commitment to work hard for a while. Those who limit their achievement and sabotage their efforts habitually avoid such a commitment.

To re-invent your work and make the most of your potential, you must revise your current thinking and develop new skills. But you can only do that if you have a clear idea of where you are going and a planned approach to getting there.

Otherwise, like a housefly that keeps hurling itself against a windowpane, you will repeatedly encounter invisible barriers.

If you’re bored at work, wishing for that mysterious dream job or have the nagging feeling that something at work isn’t right, then a change may be in order for you. Follow the five steps outlined below to make change smoother and more productive.

Listen
The first step for change is called the precontemplation stage. This is the stage many people are habitually in. Something is wrong, but they’re not sure what it is. They notice they’re bored, that they’re procrastinating with their work, and that they’re spending more time daydreaming about their ideal job rather than working the one they currently have.

When this happens to you, don’t ignore the feelings. Instead, listen to the feelings and go after them like heat-seeking missiles. You don’t have to accept it as the way work is. When you listen to what your mind and body are telling you, you can uncover the improvements to achieve a satisfying professional life.

Think
Once you acknowledge something in your work life isn’t right, you move into the contemplation stage. You put your finger on the true nature of the problem and begin to consider your options.

For some people, this is an “a-ha!” moment, but for the majority, it’s a gradual process. This kind of realization gets the thinking process started.

When you realize a change is necessary, but are unsure of how or where to begin, ask yourself the following questions:
• What is it about my current career that is not appealing to me?
• What am I leaving out of my professional life?
• What am I including in my professional life that I don’t need?

Talk to your friends and family to understand how they view your career and your work ethic. Review your old performance reviews and look for patterns in the comments. Many times prior supervisors have indicated the areas where you need to change, but you dismissed the comments as irrelevant, inaccurate or as coming from a jerk. Seriously think about the comments and feedback you receive and begin planning for your change.

Prepare
After identifying what needs to change in your work life, make the change a reality. This is the preparation stage, where people begin taking small, important and necessary steps to make the change happen.

Some people enter this stage with a clear goal in mind, while other people have a broad goal. Either mindset is fine, depending on your situation. You must become mentally ready to embark on your new direction.

The preparation stage may include researching information on the Internet, contacting headhunters, taking skills assessments and appraisals, and talking to a mentor. Use the information you gather to chart your upcoming course. Realize that at this point you can still modify your direction. For example, you may find that quitting your job isn’t necessary and that you simply need to transfer into a new department where you can better utilize your skills.

During the preparation phase, outsiders first notice your new direction. They see you as extremely feverish and industrious. You’re no longer moping and complaining. You’re gathering information, talking to people, and investigating all your options. In the midst of this activity frenzy, don’t get stuck in the preparation phase. If you do, you’ll only continue to hurt yourself because you’ll never put your plans into motion.

Act
All the best-laid plans mean nothing if you don’t act on them. That’s why the action stage is so important. While the preparation stage is when you lay the groundwork, the action stage is when you actually enroll in a new program, give notice at your job or buy the franchise to start your new business. This is when you cross the line, get on the boat and leave the dock to embark on your new direction.

You’ll know the action stage is underway when you start to feel awkward and think that things are unpleasant. Those are the signs that you’ve moved out of completely safe territory and are embarking on something new. People who advance professionally, who continually hone their skills, and who keep growing are those who get accustomed to feeling a little awkward and operating outside of the comfortable sense of having everything controlled.

In the action stage, change spreads throughout all aspects of your life. Things you mulled and incubated for years now unfold quickly. As you change, you develop new affiliations with people who support your efforts and who help you reach your career goals.

Maintain
After the flurry of activity in the action step, you need to maintain your progress and not revert to old, destructive behaviors. Unfortunately, maintenance is the crucial step most people neglect. They start the new job or open the new business, but they do things the way they had in their previous career, which puts them exactly where they started. 

Many people heard that forming a new habit or changing a behavior takes 21 days. That is, if you consistently do something entirely new for a period of 21 days, the activity gets etched into your life as a habit.

This is certainly good advice, but the problem with such a timeframe is that as you embark on your new endeavor, you’re going to face challenges. And when an unexpected setback occurs, people become anxious and stressed. Even though they have new habits in place, they quickly drop them and revert to the old habits.

Change is more than developing a new habit. It’s about revising your life. Think about your professional change like a business model. Successful companies don’t change once and then lock in that course for the next 50 years. That’s why the maintenance phase is about adapting, living and nurturing your new behavior or outlook so you can stabilize it as you reshape your career.

Change for the better
When you successfully make a positive, solid, and major change of direction, you learn how to make future changes. In time, changing your professional and personal life becomes easier. You know what to expect, including the setbacks. With the proper change strategy in place, you can reinvent your work and truly attain the career of your dreams.

Kenneth Christian is licensed psychologist with over 25 years experience, and the author of the book, “Your Own Worst Enemy: Breaking the Habit of Adult Underachievement” (Regan Books/ Harper Collins). He is an expert in workplace/ organizational achievement.

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