Talk to Headhunters Headhunters are a great resource for more than just jobs. They know competitive salaries, hiring trends of industries they serve, what new job titles are being created and which are becoming obsolete. The more headhunters you talk to, more current information you will have to help you make an informed decision.

Conduct Informational Interviews If you know what you want to do, talk to those who are already doing it. Ask them about "blood and guts" of their career activities, not just glamour and perks.

Get to Class Take classes to assess your skills and interests; brush up on everything from Spanish to computer programming. There are many educational resources out there that can increase your chances of being successful.

Get Your Financial House in Order Get clear on your short- and long-term financial goals, take stock of your living expenses, and eliminate your debt. If you are insecure about your finances, you may choose a new professional course too quickly or stay where you are too long because you need money. Make your decision based on merits of position or opportunity, not because your coffers are low.

Tell Your Loved Ones How They Can Support You Let your partner, friends and children know what support looks like—taking care of dinner, allowing you time at computer, picking you up from class. Support would not involve asking you if you should reconsider, suggesting you beg your boss for your job back or wondering out loud if you should forget this silly nonsense.

Be Realistic What else is going on in your life? Will other priorities take most of your energy—like a newborn baby, a rebellious teenager, a new marriage, an aging parent, or a health challenge? A career transition will be very demanding initially. It will require personal sacrifice.

Expect Success What we believe is what we experience. If you expect it will be impossible for you to make a career move this late in your career, you will prove yourself right. If you believe your skill set is valuable anywhere, you will prove yourself right. Believe in yourself and your ability to be successful. It is unlikely you will take action if you think your efforts will be wasted. Expect success.

Beth Orton, singer-songwriter, said, "In life, there are no regrets—only lessons we have not learned yet." Making a career shift has many lessons to offer you. If things do not work out immediately, know you can always add a mid-course correction later. Incorporate some of these ideas to support yourself in creating a professional life that you find challenging, invigorating and richly rewarding. You have power to create it—and you deserve it.

Look for Lesson Setbacks serve. They bring with them lessons about you, about life, about relationships. When a setback erupts in your path, do not dowse flames without first examining its lesson. Learning lessons that your setbacks deliver to you is one of ways you build your resilience. Prepare yourself for next surprise by learning something from this one—look for lesson.

Build on Past Successes Sometimes your setback might seem too much to handle. There may be times you find it hard to go on, especially after significant personal loss of a relationship or a loved one. To help yourself bounce back during such difficult times, think about other challenges that you have faced in your lifetime. Think about how you dealt with them—and how you came through them. What worked for you at those times? Was it taking a vacation, talking to counselor, watching "I Love Lucy" reruns, or taking a leave of absence from your job? Whatever it was, ask yourself if it is time to do it again.

Plan Rejuvenation Sometimes when we experience a setback, it can kick us into high gear. We force ourselves to try harder, work longer, do more. If setbacks motivate you to take action, that’s fine—as long as it is not at expense of your self-nurturing. Self-nurturing, time spent rejuvenating your energy and replenishing your spirit, is more important after a setback than at any other time. Go get a massage, take a yoga class, melt in a tub of lavender suds, chat endlessly on phone with a friend. Do whatever it is that deeply nourishes you. Make care and feeding of yourself a top priority during times of personal challenge. It will ensure that you bounce back faster.

Ask Yourself a Powerful Question Instead of asking yourself questions that further burden you—like "How could this happen to me?" or "What did I do to deserve this?"—ask yourself powerful questions that help build your resilience. Find ways to uplift yourself; shift your view of situation by asking questions such as "How can I turn things around?" and "How can I support myself during this challenging time?" Even if you don’t get an answer right away, keep asking yourself these powerful questions until guidance that will best serve you appears.

It is your ability to bounce back after setbacks that will keep you successful and fulfilled over long haul of your career and your life. What matters is not how many times you find yourself face down in sand, but how many times you get back up and dust yourself off. Take just one of these principles to start with, then add another and another until resilient responses are second-nature to you. As you build these skills, why not start day with this bold affirmation: "Go ahead, Life, send me a setback. I eat setbacks for breakfast; they are great fuel for day!"

Caterina Rando, MA, MCC, helps people achieve success with ease. She is a success speaker, master certified coach and author of the award winning national best-seller "Learn to Power Think." To find out about her book, free e-zine, free articles and other resources, visit http://www.caterinar.com. Caterina can also be reached by email at cpr@caterinar.com.