Don Roulo is the CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) of Life Quest. He is a life, career and business coach as well as a Certified 48 Days Workshop Facilitator. He travels nationally and internationally to conduct business and career training as well as marriage and family workshops.

By DON ROULO

I recently was reminded of a story a friend told me. It is about a man sitting on his front porch with his dog enjoying a nice summer day. A friend walks up the stairs and hears the dog whimper softly. The friend asked the man on the porch why the dog was moaning. The owner of the dog said, “He is lying on a nail.” The friend of course asked, “Why doesn’t the dog move?” The owner replied, “I guess it doesn’t hurt enough yet.”

Studies tell us that over 70 percent of people are dissatisfied with their jobs and careers. This is not just the young person who is in an entry level job. This includes doctors, lawyers, executives and every imaginable profession. Most of these people complain on a consistent basis about their situation, but they don’t do anything about it. Is the type of job, the job environment or your career path causing you consistent pain? It may be time to stop and take another look at the direction you are going.

It is critical to ask yourself where you want to be in five, 10 and even 20 years from now. For many people it is scary to think about future plans because it will require change. Just like the dog in the story, we can see even if things are uncomfortable and we are experiencing some level of pain, change is not automatic. We can recognize change is necessary, but still not move off the nail.

When you specifically look at pain in your current work situation, what changes do you need to make? Do you need to do a very specific and targeted job search, which involves writing a letter of introduction, creating an outstanding resume, or practicing your interviewing skills?

Do you need to discover and clarify your transferrable skills, so you may go into a completely new career direction? (Next week we will discuss how to do a proper job search – which does not consist of only looking in your local newspaper.)

As I meet with clients, they tell me some of the changes I just mentioned scare them to the point of not taking action even though they are in pain.  How much pain do you need to be in before you get up off the nail?

About the Author
Don Roulo is a life, career and business coach as well as a Certified 48 Days Workshop Facilitator. He travels nationally and internationally to conduct business and career training as well as marriage and family workshops.

One of his most requested workshops is called, Master’s Millionheirs, which trains and equips budding entrepreneurs to make sure they follow sound foundational principles to ensure success in life and business. He believes to achieve true success it is vital to “make a life, not just a living.”

As a business consultant, he has written business plans and worked to market products or services as well as organizing financial statements for investors. Because of his success in the sales and business arena, Don has been blessed with the opportunity to train, motivate and inspire others. His passion is to motivate and equip people to find their passion and achieve their goals and God given destiny.