What do you want to do?

To “Sea Change” is to do something uniquely Australian. It refers to a desire to leave the big city, the cluttered lifestyle and, in many cases, a high powered career, to find a simpler life most often in a small town somewhere along the coast, or near the sea. Hence the term, Sea Change.

By doing so, “Sea Changers” feel they can achieve greater “life balance” away from the congested and noisy city streets, and the endless hours demanded by their high paying jobs. So they quit their jobs, sell their houses, pack up the car, and effectively drive to a far away beach to start a new life. (And when put that way, no wonder so many people are talking about it!)

It is also referred to as “downshifting” since Sea Changers, on giving up their high powered careers and, more significantly, the accompanying high powered salary, are often living on a greatly reduced income doing whatever work they can find in their new environs.

For Sea Changers though, the end justifies the means. Not only are they finding what they consider a better place to be, they also have more time to spend with their families, and the pursuit of interests they didn’t previously have time for. And although the change has come at some cost, in the end it is all worthwhile.

In a way Career Changers are a little like Sea Changers. Walking away from a situation they don’t like, and looking for something more fulfilling. Perhaps we could coin a new phrase here, and give ourselves a name: “C Changers”!

But while Sea Changers only have to open an atlas to find somewhere new to go, Career Changers usually face more of a challenge when it comes to searching for direction.

And finding a new direction to go in, is undoubtedly, the single most important aspect of the career change process. Once we find that direction, let’s call it a will, finding a way to reach our destination becomes that much easier. And as well all know, where there’s a will there’s a way.

So like our Sea Change friends, we know we want a change. We want a new career. We want our our own “C Change”. But where do we want to go, and what do we want to do next?

Well let us follow the Sea Changers’ example. Just as they dream of a better life before making it happen, let us dream also. If Sea Changers can find direction in that way, so can we.

So imagine, or dream for a moment, that money is not a problem. In other words, picture a situation where you have an unlimited supply of cash, and don’t need to earn to a single cent to support you or your family.

In that ideal state, what would you do? What dream business, or enterprise, would you establish? What “perfect” job would you apply for?

And whatever answer you have there, is the beginning, or the first step, of the career change process.

And I stress beginning, because frankly some dreams are just a little unrealistic or next to impossible to achieve! But we’ll return to that point, and explore in more detail, at a later time. The most important step, however is finding that new direction.

So start, or keep, dreaming. After all nothing is worse than being stuck in a job that makes you unhappy. Change is possible, and as with the Sea Changers, it comes at cost, but in the end it is all worthwhile.