You may not even be aware of the barriers you face in your career. And these barriers could be stopping you from entering paid employment, asking for a promotion, changing your career, requesting work from home or flexibility or starting your own business.
Our barriers might stem from habits we have established, they might be real or perceived. Identifying them is the first step to overcoming them.
For me, starting my own business had many barriers. The first two were the lack of time to start, and the second that confidence and fear of failure.
Lack of Time
For me, starting my own business began as a side hustle. I wanted to dip my toe in the water and see where it could take me. Luckily it grew enough to become my full time gig! But the time to get started on my side hustle was a roadblock for me. I already worked 8 hours a day and did work after hours occasionally. I had my son who was at kindy who I picked up every day and also the household day-to-day chores. I had no time left. Excuses were plenty and I didn’t want to change a routine that was working and that I was happy with. But I needed the time to give my business a chance. This one was something that would affect my family, so I sat with my partner and we carved out time in the calendar that I would dedicate to my business. This did involved set time on a weekend and also two nights a week. I also consciously tried to leave my paid work at work and reduce the extra hours. We gave the new routine a try for 1 month and it worked! It also enabled me to move my side hustle forward!
Confidence
We all have had those times when we ask ourselves if we are good enough. If we can really do what it is, we are setting out to do. We see others succeeding and compare ourselves. At all stages confidence (or lack of) can be a barrier. Putting myself out there as a new business was scary – especially as I wanted to do something I was so passionate about. I didn’t want to fail, so perhaps the best option was to not try at all. For me, what worked was to really explore other people doing what I wanted to do. I researched online, I called people, I asked for insights, I attended networking events and industry event. I wanted to learn what other people were doing and where they had started and their pathways. Then, it was about honestly evaluating myself against everything I had learned. Not comparing, but arming myself with as much knowledge as possible to then be able to be confident in opening my own business. I also surrounded myself with supporters and people who were able to support me – helping me build my confidence.
Join Career Smart Mums to learn strategies for working through the barriers, and for a supportive community to help you along the way!