Is it too much to go to work? Before making a career change, determine whether other aspects of life are affecting your job satisfaction. Lack of supportive relationships, few leisure activities, or poor health may be contributing to your dissatisfaction. “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life” may help you identify sources of discontent. www.questersdarertochange.com.

Do you measure success by internal standards, rather than by status symbols or material wealth? Do you enjoy the process of learning, accomplishing, and mastering?

If so, you may have a high need for achievement. This personality trait is characterized by an enduring and consistent concern with setting and meeting high standards of accomplishment. The need for achievement motivates individuals to excel in activities important to them.

To determine your need to achieve complete the Quester Questionnaire in “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life:” http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier

Research demonstrates that accomplished individuals, who regularly win awards, are driven by the effort rather than the result. Knowing you can attain a desired goal, enhances feelings of confidence and pride.

Where does the need to achieve come from? Some psychologists believe you are born with “competence motivation,” or the need for challenge and stimulation. Babies and toddlers have it.

Like toddlers learning to walk, many achievers fail several times. Most manage to extract lessons that subsequently enable them to succeed.

Michael Jordan, proclaimed by the National Basketball Association (NBA) as the “greatest player of all time,” said: “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions, I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot…and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Many Questers, described in “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life.” share similar stories. www.questersdarertochange.com.

Unfortunately, many people are taught it’s unacceptable to fail. They walk away from opportunities without trying.

Tips for Achieving

– Set attainable goals. Set each new goal one level beyond your present level of accomplishment. Enjoy the process of achieving your goal.

– Experiment with standards of excellence.  Set your own criteria. Instead of aiming for 100 percent, try 80 or 90 percent. Realize perfectionism is an unattainable illusion.

– Learn from mistakes. Recognize that mistakes are part of the achieving process. Identify factors that may have contributed to a poor outcome, modify features, and move on.

– Practice mindfulness. Purposely and without judgment, attend to the moment. Concentrate on each task. Attend fully to the report you’re reading. Give phone conversations unwavering attention.

– Establish appropriate limits. Focus on activities that use your talents. Delegate or exchange tasks you dislike, aren’t good at, or find draining or time-consuming.

– Enjoy successes. Measure yourself by what you have done, are doing, and can complete. Keep a weekly tally of accomplishments. Post this where you can read it often. Reward yourself for completing a challenging project.

Additional tips are described in “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life”: http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier

Dr. Carole Kanchier, career and personal growth expert, is author of the award winning, groundbreaking, purposeful book, “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life: http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier Carole Kanchier inspires people to realize their potential and look at career growth in new ways. A career visionary, Dr. Kanchier pioneered a unique, holistic, developmental model of lifelong growth and decision making which she shares in “Questers.” Uniquely qualified to talk about career issues, Kanchier researches, writes, counsels, and conducts workshops on career development. She walks her talk!

Are you thinking about making a career change? If so, why do you want to change? What do you want to do?

Recently, some media reported that people change jobs for higher salaries.

My research, discussed in “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life” (www.questersdaretochange.com), indicates that adults change jobs for varied reasons. Many require more challenge, autonomy, or use of skills and creativity. Some suffer from burnout, dislike superiors, or lack congruence between personal and corporate values. Others want to gain marketable skills.

Changing jobs can be invigorating. Most changers perceive they gain from their moves. Rewards include a greater sense of purpose, independence, income, and career and life satisfaction. Growth opportunities and a healthier lifestyle are other benefits.

On the other hand, change is stressful and involves hard work. Temporary loss of self-esteem and personal and financial deprivation are other disadvantages.

Barriers to change include fear of failure, fear of losing a secure income or other benefits, or guilt that responsibilities won’t be met.

Are You Ready for a Career  Change?

Five or more yes responses suggest you may be ready for a change: 1) I can hardly wait until Friday; 2) I won’t attain my career goals in my current  position; 3) I often think of quitting; 4) I’m irritable at the office; 5) My involvement and productivity have slipped; 6) My work no longer provides confidence; 7 ) I  I have few interests in common with colleagues; 8) My values are incompatible with those of my organization.

Take Charge

1. Define and overcome barriers. If you want to pursue higher education, but are worried about finances, consider saving, borrowing, or taking evening classes.

2. Know yourself.  Clarify your purpose. Identify skills, needs and interests you want met. Indicate preferred work environment, locale, tasks, and desired responsibility, authority and salary levels. Refer to chapter 8: http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier

3. Explore and narrow options. These include restructuring your current job, changing departments in the same organization, changing fields, becoming self-employed, talking time out, or returning to school. Research alternatives. Check salary, benefits, educational and licensing requirements, job duties, work environment, employment outlook, growth opportunities, and suitability of personal qualities to each option.

4. Specify a goal. State your goal in the present, using concrete, positive terms.

5. Plan for Success. Outline your goals, strategies and timeline. Modify goals as circumstances change. Visualize yourself living your goal today. Network. Meet regularly with supportive people.

6. Act. Stay focused. View setbacks as learning experiences.

Expect the best. Follow the examples of the Questers in http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier

Tag: Dr. Carole Kanchier, career and personal growth expert, is author of the award winning, groundbreaking , purposeful book, “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life: http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier. Carole Kanchier inspires people to realize their potential and look at career growth in new ways. A career visionary, Dr. Kanchier pioneered a unique, holistic, developmental model of lifelong growth and decision making which she shares in “Questers.” Uniquely qualified to talk about career issues, Kanchier researches, writes, counsels, and conducts workshops on career development. She walks her talk!

Good manners are good business. Profitable alliances can be made or lost by business behaviors. Test your business etiquette.

Dr. Carole Kanchier offers seminar May 29 — Questers: Job and Life Success Secrets.

Take charge of your career and life. Look at career growth in new ways and strengthen Quester qualities to succeed in changing times. Award-winning author, columnist, and registered psychologist, Dr. Kanchier shows how to become the manager of your life — to attain the life you were meant to live.

Free Event: Thursday, May 29th, 2014, 12:00 – 1 pm; Suite 3300 Bow Valley Square, 205 5th Ave. SW, Calgary. http://conta.cc/1lZRmwa

Dr. Carole Kanchier shares success secrets in new ‘Questers’
A powerful beacon for individuals seeking skills to adapt and prevail in changing times