For many years, I created list after list on the best ways to make a career change. Then I finally stopped making lists, and I took the leap. I still remember that fateful (or should I say faithful) day when I told my friends and family that I was leaving the practice of law to become a full-time resume writer and career coach.

My parents appeared to be the most shocked of all.

But you put so much time into your legal career and you invested so much money into your legal education, why leave?

You are really good in the courtroom and you have always done so well in law, why leave now?

The truth was, I just wasn’t happy — for a very, very long time. My parents’ approval meant a lot to me, but I realized that my personal happiness had to come first.

I had already developed my reputation, my expertise, and my passion for resume writing. I had a list of certifications behind me, publications, and the talent to go along with it. All that I needed to do was take the first step.  It was downright scary to give up the security of a steady paycheck, a 401K matching contribution, and countless other benefit perks.

Once I make a decision, there’s no stopping me. No one can talk me out of it. No one can discredit me. And, certainly, no one can turn my sails in another direction. I’m what many will call fearless and faithful to myself.

Have you ever felt that you wanted to make a change but didn’t know how to get started? Are you scared to leave your job for a job that might be better or possibly worse? Are you fearful or are you faithful?

As they say, “You don’t know until you try. ” That’s where faith comes in to overtake fear. Dr. Martin Luther King was right. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Sometimes we don’t know where the staircase will lead to, and that’s okay. We need confidence, ambition, passion, and a will to keep on moving no matter what obstacles come our way.

You can’t always see the top of the mountain, but you don’t know until you begin climbing. With each step you take, you find yourself motivated to continue because there is no looking back.

Faith can be found in all facets of your career, whether you’re a young professional or c-level executive.  Faith exists in pursuing your MBA and taking the step to advancing your position within an organization. Faith also exists in leaving one job after 15 years to pursue a better opportunity at a start-up company.

Applying This To Your Career and Life

Take a piece of paper and write down three (3) goals you have for yourself and your career that you want to achieve within the next year, but that you’ve been reluctant to do.  Next to those 3 goals, make a column, and list the reasons WHY you have been reluctant to take the staircase. You’ll begin to see a pattern – questioning your abilities, not being able to know where it will take you, or questioning if you can afford to do it. In the next column, list the first step you will need to take for each goal.  In the next columns, list the second and third steps you will need to take.

The idea of this exercise is to know what goals you want to achieve, and the steps required to climb the staircase.  Knowing the process you must take will allow you to develop your own personal strategy. Remember, this is not a sprint, but a marathon that requires strategic planning, preparedness, and faith to make it to the finish line.

Climbing the Staircase

If you’re ready to take the next step to a better career, it’s time to prepare for the climb up the staircase. Sometimes it simply takes the right top executive resume writer and career coach to develop that faithful plan for you.

If you are struggling with making a leap into a new career, or considering making a jump, consider reading this article first before you make the decision to go.

Read reviews of Wendi Weiner, The Writing Guru and learn more about her impact as a top executive resume writer and award-winning career expert.