Follow Your Heart

Years ago, when a friend of mine was looking for advice on a career change that she had been pondering on for some time, I simply suggested her to follow her heart. Years later as we went down the memory lane together, she told me with a big smile that it was the best advice she ever got.

Over the course of our career, some of us may get stuck at a crossroads trying to figure out which path to take and ask our friends to weigh in on the good and the bad for each option. Sometimes we still can’t decide no matter how many times we go through the pro-con list because what’s on the list only shows half the story. The pro-con list is helpful to put things into perspective, but what we need more is looking into how things make us truly feel. Connecting the dots between the head and the heart helps us scratch beneath the surface.

When we go within and listen to our heart, it is important to be honest with ourselves. If the career transition is made by choice, understanding the why for initiating the change can remove any doubts, avoid possible regrets, and help us make the right decision. However, If the career transition shows up unpredictably, we may need to first clear our mind by dropping all the assumptions and expectations being imposed on us by others because what people think we should be is not really helping at that moment.

Keeping a cool head while taking the career transition as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves would be a good start. Curiosity and patience are instrumental to help us figure things out and to cope with new circumstances. When we feel like hitting a wall and couldn’t see the light, taking a moment to revisit our SWOT could move us forward. It’s possible that our strengths and weaknesses evolve over time because we keep learning and accumulating experiences day in and day out. In fact, changing careers could happen naturally when we reach a different stage of life.

Change is the only constant whether we like it or not. Besides following our heart, being able to anticipate and plan for a career transition takes skills and wisdom. Those skills often involve EQ, AQ and SQ which can be learned through studying and by observation. Family, friends, and mentors are additional resources for building skills and wisdom. At HIbodhi, we would customize your experience and create space for you to explore the who, the why, the what and the how that hide deep inside your heart and mind. We could help you connect the dots and let you come up with a plan that is unique to your situation. Come talk to us at HIbodhi only if you want the best for yourself.

幾年前我有一位朋友，對她職業轉變的決定考慮了好一段時間，卻依然沒有結果時，我只是提議她跟隨自己的心去處理吧。 多年後，當我們一起回憶往事時，她笑著告訴我，這是她得到過最好的建議。

在職業生涯中，有時侯我們可能會陷入十字路口裡，試圖找出該走的方向，也會和朋友一起權衡每種選擇的好處和壞處。 但是無論我們瀏覽多少次那些贊成或反對的名單，依然無法決定下來，因為名單上的內容只說明了故事的一半。 贊成反對的名單的確有助於我們分析好處和壞處，但更需要了解的是自己真正的感受。把頭腦與心靈連結一起，可以幫助我們看得更清晰更深入。

在傾聽自己的內心世界時，誠實的態度是重要的。 如果職業轉型是自己的選擇，那麼了解改變的初心，有助消除任何疑慮，避免可能的遺憾，能讓自己做出正確的決定。 然而，如果職業轉變是其他原因引發出來的，我們最好先理清思路，不要容易受別人強加於自己的假設和期望影響，因為別人認為我們應該怎樣，在那一刻並沒有真正的幫助。

保持冷靜的頭腦，同時將職業轉型視為重塑自我的機會，將會是一個好的開始。 善用好奇心和耐心去幫助我們解決問題和應付新環境。 趟若感覺迷惘而看不到出路時，可重新審視我們的 SWOT，來推動自己繼續前進。 我們的優勢和劣勢可能會隨著時間而改變，因為我們日復日地不斷學習和累積經驗。 事實上，每當到達人生的另一階段時，轉行的機遇可能會隨之而發生。

無論我們喜歡與否，變化是唯一不變的永恆。 除了追隨自己的內心感受，能夠預測和規劃職業轉型的機遇是需要技能和智慧。 這些技能往往涉及情感 (EQ)、逆境 (AQ) 和社交 (SQ) 商數，並且可以透過觀察與學習取得。 家人、朋友和導師是培養技能和智慧的額外資源。 在 HIbodhi，我們提供個人化的體驗並創造空間，與您探索及了解隱藏在內心深處的人和事，並協助您將有關點子連結起來，讓您制定最適合自己情況的轉型計劃。 如果您想為自己爭取最好的，請來 HIbodhi 與我們交談。