Get Out of a Career Rut – A Creative Way to Figure Out Career Possibilities and Find Meaningful Work

I was just watching the movie “Sydney White” and something grabbed me at the end of the film. I got excited, teary-eyed, it just hit me. I thought about why I was feeling this way and I realized that it plugged into my own desire to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of many people. I loved the feeling of winning a competition, being able to create positive change, and create better lives for millions of people.

As an unemployed trailing spouse, or even a person simply wondering what to do with your professional life, I thought that there might be something to this “movie grabbing” technique. If you are stuck knowing that you want to do something meaningful with your life, but unsure what to do, or how to do it, figuring out what inspires you is an excellent way to get out of this rut.

So, I’d like to offer you a few steps to try and get in touch with the source of your inspiration through watching movies!

Watch a movie! Any movie – new or old. Pay special attention to the parts that make you feel uplifted, happy, inspired, emotional – the parts of the movie that grab you.

Bring a notepad. I like to strike while the iron is hot – so bring a notebook with you, or if you’re watching a movie at home, have a pad of paper, and a pen handy. Jot down the parts of the movie that hit you – what was the character doing, saying, where were they? Write down all the details you can.

Take a deeper look at WHY these parts of the movie inspired you. So, in my example – the character Sydney White won an election, appealed to everyone’s “inner dork”, and presumably helped thousands of people get in touch with their inner confidence and aspire to their goals and desires. What are the traits and accomplishments that appealed to you in the movie you just watched?

Jump up and down excitedly! You’ve just taken a great step towards figuring out what inspires you, and have enabled yourself to start doing it!

Now, start thinking about the ways you can accomplish your own desires! How do these goals and desires translate into your life? With my example, I could run for office, reach more people with coaching through workshops, book-writing, and seminars, or make a list of all the causes that I can contribute to. What can you do?

Go do it! Take what you learned and put it into action!