A Beginners Guide to Start Preparing for your Come back to Career

The story of CLUTCH and BRAKE – Why am I not able to come back to my career?

The journey of a thousand miles begins with just taking a step. But before taking that one step there is a mammoth battle that has to be taken and won. This is your internal battle where you are fighting with your old belief system, your limitations. You want to just fly high like that beautiful butterfly who has just been transformed from that tiny caterpillar which doesn’t know her miraculous power hidden inside her.

This is nothing new, there is a cyclic movie of  ‘Clutch and Brake’ going round and round inside the head of most of the women who want to come back to their careers. But despite the best of their efforts, they could not.  

What’s that? You aren’t familiar with the story of clutch and brake? 

Well then, here you go. 

Ria worked for over a decade in the corporate world and took a break for 5 years to start her family. She had two children. Now she wants to come back to her career.

She is extremely thrilled and confident at her past professional experiences and accolades which she received over many years. She is confident that she can soar high quickly. She frequently searches Linkedin and applies at various job sites rigorously for a few days. 

When being asked to come over for a physical interview. She starts to get cold feet because the office is an hour’s distance from her place. She doesn’t have the courage to ask this of her husband. 

She thinks:

• How will everything be managed at home in my absence?
• How will my kids eat? How would my in-law’s day-to-day requirements be taken care of? My husband always has warm fresh cooked food. How would my husband have breakfast if I have already left for work? 
• Will I be able to manage both home and work without making it inconvenient to everyone? 
• Will my health allow me to take this much stress which post covid every organization is having to perform in these adverse scenarios?
• Will I be able to get the job in such dreadful times wherein so many much more qualified people than I am not able to find the job? 
• How can I seek permission from my family members that I want to start working now?

She sees the reality of her two kids, husband and aging in-laws in my family. The whole excitement goes for a toss and here comes the deadly brake..

Ria is like a brand-new sports car, which is continuously put on a clutch, and the moment it starts to race, the brake is applied. Do you think she will go anywhere out of the porch of the house ever?

The answer is NO. So many insecurities, doubts, unanswered questions. These are the brakes. 

By being a Home Manager, you are already running a full-time portfolio which is 24*7*365 days a year. You have not even taken a single day off. Then how is it possible for you to move out of this portfolio? Before convincing everyone in the household it is extremely important to hold your fort intact. There has to be a clear WHY. Why do you want to come back to your career? Find your truth, your own story. 

You are unique and so is your story. Dig deep within and write your own story.

Here your decision is coming back to your career. But you can apply this model to any critical decision and know at which stage you are. 

If it is your story too, measure at which stage you are.

Take a look at the below diagram. The blocks represent the points that you can give yourself. Here are 5 stages to know where you stand today. 

Here blocks represent your thoughts about any decision that you want to take.  

1. Data here represents all the above-mentioned thoughts coming into your mind.
2. Sorted means how you sort your inner thoughts about how to make accepting the reality and delegating the work 
3. Arranged depicts how your confidence in your choice and the special path you want to carve for your own personal growth 
4. Presented Visually depicts how you need to convince other stakeholders within your household to get their support and buy-in 
5. Explained with a story This represents the story which you give to your soul and feel convinced 100% and acts as your inner motivation and keeps you going while facing hurdles in your journey. The more you are clear about this story, the easier it is to be more focused on your transformation Path. 

If you start with the end in your mind and keep on moving sooner or later you will reach there.

However, if you keep on waiting at any of the above stages. You very well know at which stage of mindset you are. 

If you can visualize your story clearly, only then the next task of convincing others begins.  The path towards making a comeback is not easy, yet it is worth every bit of effort.

Dig within your soul to find your WHY. Create your own unique story of transformation.

 Give it due respect, an action which is needed. You are worth it. You owe this to yourself.

written by-

With Lots of Love 

Shalini Srivastava

Transformation Life Coach