Life changes are a constant for each of us. When changes happen TO us, they can be stressful and disorienting and take us off our “game” – if we let them. But life changes can also be a catalyst. A catalyst to take action. To take back control. To heed the call of Henry David Thoreau when he said, “if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Turning unforeseen events into unexpected success requires seeing – and seizing – opportunity. Let’s take a closer look at how an experienced sales executive can make that happen:
Life Changes That Make You Reassess
No matter where you find yourself in life, changes happen. But when you are in the corporate world – and especially if you are in mid- to late-career – changes can shake your personal and professional foundations. Perhaps the upheaval is due to a merger or sale of your employer to a private equity firm; perhaps it is due to market downturns or competitive advancements within your industry. Whatever the reason, you might find yourself reassessing your place in the corporation or being on the outside looking in due to a recent downsizing.
When that reassessment happens, it can be common for doubts and fears and frustrations to rise to the surface. Doubts about your role in the organization. Fears about your job security or where the next paycheck will come from. Frustrations about corporate politics and bureaucracy; about not being listened to; about not being valued.
And while doubts and fears and frustrations can be common in the corporate world, when your dreams and aspirations get lost in the shuffle, it’s probably time to not only reassess, but to take control of your destiny.
Taking Control and Changing Your Trajectory
At some point in most professional lives, the fear factor comes into play. Specifically, you will weigh the fear of letting go (of your not-very-comfortable “comfort zone”) against the fear of regrets. In other words, you will almost certainly encounter an internal struggle between what is and what could be. Frankly, you probably don’t really have to let go. That has already happened, whether you had any say in it or not. The corporate world as you knew it has changed, again and again, and you have very likely adapted and survived, maybe even thrived in the new reality. But as changes pile up, these new realities become less energizing and more de-motivating. So you’ve had to let go, over and over, and make the best of it. But is reacting and adapting really taking control?
As my co-founder Chad Meyer and I have experienced personally – and heard from many of our licensed Sales Xceleration Advisors – the desire, the need, for freedom and control eventually becomes a call that cannot be silenced. The good news is that you can heed the call; you can take control; you can change your professional trajectory. All it takes is a little faith. In yourself. In a power beyond yourself. And in the power of vision and possibility.
Finding Freedom and Making a Difference
Letting go of what was can be scary. Moving toward what can be is liberating. And knowing that you can make a difference in the lives of others can be empowering! Along with so many of our Advisors, we’ve found it possible to use skills we’ve spent decades honing, but use them in a way that brings us joy and lets us help others. We’ve been able to feel recognized for our contributions. We’ve been able to feel valued again. And we’ve been able to restore a sense of freedom, a measure of control, and a work/life balance we had been missing far too long.
Bottom Line:
Life changes. But for whatever reason you find yourself at a point of reassessment, you can let go of the negative, change your trajectory, find your joy, take control, and make a difference. We’ve been blessed to be able to accomplish those goals here at Sales Xceleration. We’ve been able to go confidently in the direction of our dreams. And we’ve been gratified to be able to help others do the same. We hope that you explore your own power of possibility, whether at Sales Xceleration or elsewhere. If you want to learn more about our stories, contact us at 844.874.7253.
