Write your answers for each of surviving ideas and go to next step.

6. Can I Afford It? Run your surviving inspirations through your financial life. Ask yourself,

·What will it cost to change? ·Can I live on what I could make in this new career? ·Can I learn to live with less?

Record your answers and go to next step.

7. Am I Willing to Deal With My Fears? What, you have no career ideas or inspirations that survived? Congratulations, you have met your fears!

Relax, you’re not alone!

It’s important that your mind, will and heart are all aligned, or you’ll run into problems. Careers your mind likes but your heart doesn’t will be short-lived. Careers your heart might like don’t even get consideration if your mind allows its fears to stop you dead in your tracks. Your will doesn’t have clear direction if your head and heart aren’t aligned.

Run each of your inspirations through your mind, will and heart. Release those inspirations that don’t have energy in all three of your mind, will and heart. You won’t have enough energy to try them effectively. Hold onto inspirations for which your mind, will and heart are aligned.

Run those inspirations through your self-esteem. Ask yourself,

·Do I have guts to pull off this career change, even if others disapprove? ·Can I grow up and not need others approval to change? ·Am I willing to change my social group to pursue this new career?

Now that you’re feeling bold and independent, run ideas that survived through your financial screen again. Weigh your desire for a career that satisfies you with your need to remain unchanged economically. Ask yourself these tough questions:

·What economic changes must I make in order for this career to be feasible? ·Would living more simply (read: less expensively) feel better if I felt better about my career? ·What expenses that help me cope with my current career won’t be necessary if I change? ·What’s more important -- feeling good about myself or having things?

Finally, take hardy career inspirations that remain and ask,

·Can I see myself putting this inspiration into practice? ·Am I ready to birth this career inspiration into world? ·Am I ready to share energy of my career idea with world?

Shake tree of your fertile imagination and see what career inspiration falls from it. Some ideas are ripe for picking; others need a bit more time on tree to ripen. Hold onto those inspirations that didn’t survive – you’ll want to review them when you change careers next time!

Copyright 2005, Fruition Coaching, All Rights Reserved.

There is a mercenary side to idea approval. What happens with your idea is a reflection on person who approved it. I know, for one, I'm not willing to risk my reputation on someone's half-baked or half-executed idea. That doesn't mean I don't take risks on individuals or ideas. I do on both. But, business decisions are about odds and risks. Make sure both are in your favor. Being a strong performer is best way to get your ideas noticed and sell them to powers that be.

You can start enhancing your performance reputation by implementing ideas that don't require anyone's approval. Do what needs doing, what would be helpful if implemented or beneficial if created. Of course, this at-your-discretion work is always in addition to current responsibilities. People who are winning at working use ideas to build performance trust. And performance trust builds careers.

(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.