7 Steps to Change Your Professional Future for the Better  

Are you satisfied with where you are in your career right now? Or do you often think back to the jobs you turned down or the paths you should have taken?

The past is called the past because it has come and gone. The decisions you made, or did not make, may have taught you some tough lessons, but you can use these lessons to build a bright future. You get to say how your career will go, and you get to choose where you will end up. You do not have to overwhelm yourself with reasons and excuses that hold you back because of past mistakes.

This is not to say that looking at your career (and your life) and deciding what needs to be improved is easy. But staying stuck is even  harder. How can it not be, when doing the same thing over and over again is making you unhappy, and starting fresh can bring you joy and excitement?

Maybe your career choice was your best option at the time that you made it. Maybe you made a bad decision (it happens to all of us!), but either way, there is still time to choose something different, if you want to. It really does not matter how old you are, what gender you are, where you live, what educational level you achieved, how little money you have, or how big your family is. Nothing can get in your way if you are willing to try.

So, how do you make peace with where you are today so you can create a new future? Follow the steps below:

Get to Know Yourself Better 
The more you know yourself, the better you will be able to decide what is best for you. It is easy to make decisions when you know what’s right for you instead of trying to make decisions based on what others think you should do. You will be swayed less by choices that do not work for you and will lean more toward options that make sense if you know what your values and goals are first.

Forgive Others 
When you forgive others, the blame disappears and you get your life back. You free yourself up to take responsibility for your own choices and for what your future will look like.

Forgive Yourself 
Do you believe you have to be perfect all the time? Can you make mistakes and learn from them? Remember, you are human and humans have flaws. Your life would be boring without them. Forgive yourself and accept that you did the best you could do at the time, and then promise you will do better in the future. People get second chances every day. So can you.

Trust Your Instincts 
You know which career is right for you. You have always known. Back when you made your first choices, fear may have kept you from taking the path you really wanted to take. Now, it may be bills that are keeping you in a career you dislike. Trust your instinct (the little voice inside that tells you your true purpose), and you will get meaning back into your life. You will realize that you cannot wait another moment. What you will uncover is your gift to the world, one we are all waiting for you to give.

Recognize That it Is Not too Late 
There will always be a reason not to push ahead or try something new. But the alternative is not having a life you love. Every day, people older than you leave jobs that are not right for them. My mom went to college at the age of 56, and she was not the only one at her age doing so. If you tell yourself that it is too late, then it will be. Isn’t it better to tell yourself something different?

Make a Plan 
Decide that it is important to live a life without regrets. Then, set goals to support your next career move. Goals help you focus your efforts and motivate you to move forward.  You can always get a job, but you will not find a job you love unless you know where you are going.

Take a Chance 
It all comes down to “will you do it or won’t you?” Life grants big rewards, but only to those who put in the work. You really can do whatever you want, but you will have to step out of your comfort zone and out of your own way. Take the chance. Why not? If you really dislike your new life, you can always go back to your prior ways. Or, you can tweak what you are doing and try something different.

Making change in your life is never easy, but more often than not, it can be rewarding. By following these seven steps, you will be well on your way to changing your life for the better.