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Career Paralysis:The Five Reasons
Why Our Brains
Get Headstuck
When Making
Career Decisions
Part 1 of a presentation designed to be downloaded and cherished viewed in slide show mode, by psychologist Rob Archer
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Is this you?
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Which you really should be grateful f or...
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But which you hate.
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So youre looking f or a
new job!
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But not just any job!
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You want a job that
actually fulfils you.
You want meaning.
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(Big bu
t)
BUT
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You dont want to lose your
lifestyle
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And youre
worried
about
stepping into
the unknown.
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Should you be taking more of a risk?
Y ou think to yourself...
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If so, how big a risk?
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Isnt it already
too late?
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Some days you
wonder where onearth your life is
heading.
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You feel like youre losing touch with
who you really are...
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...and even the simplest decisions are
starting to seem difficult.
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I
f so, you are not alone...
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Nearly 70% of us do not feel engaged at work.
Over half of us would start over if we felt we could.
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...its our
brainsthat are
to blame.(They cant cope).
And its not our fault...
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Let me explain...
This is me.
Im Rob. Im an Occupational Psychologist
specialising in helping people get out of career paralysis.
I work with people who feel like this at work.
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Let me explain...
This presentation explains why career paralysis
happens, and what you can do about it.
So, where do we start?
This is me.
Im Rob. Im an Occupational Psychologist
specialising in helping people get out of career paralysis.
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Lets start at the very beginning.A very good place to start.
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Our brains evolved for a very different
world from today. A world in which
people lived in very small grou ps, rarely
met anybody different from themselves,
had short lives with few choices and
where the highest priority was to eat and mate today.
Professor Dan Gilbert,TED Conference,
December 2008
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The point is, the kind of problems
our brains evolved to solve
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are very different to the kind of
problems we face today.
The point is, the kind of problems
our brains evolved to solve
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Career choice is a good example:
In the Agricultural Age you did whatever
your parents did. Baker, Taylor, Butcher, Smith.
In fact, there was no such thing as career choice.
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In the Industrial
Age social mobility
increased.
But social mobility
still depended on
social class and
education.
So career choicewas only an issue
for nice chaps like
William and Rupert
here.
Top
hole!
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In the Information Age our choices expanded rapidly.
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Youd be tested and then scientifically matched by computer to...
your ideal career!
Thankfully, computers came along to help.
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This approach had two assumptions:
a static work environment and a static self .
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This approach had two assumptions:
a static work environment and a static self .(Mind, you, what would I know? The computer told me I should have been a dental hygienist).
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7. ...and the financial crisis is
accentuating all of these
trends.
2. the job for life almost dead
3. and the portfolio career on the
rise.
4. People want meaning at work,not living f or the weekend.
5. Jobs are being created in areas
not even heard of 2 years ago.
1. The job market is volatile
But nothing is static any more.
6. More people than ever are
starting their own business
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So the good news is
historically speaking, careeropportunities have never
been greater.
Most of us could be whoever we want
to be.
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But the bad news is...
Our brains are
not set up to
deal with thisnew type of
career
decision.
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But less good when
we need to choosebetween lots of
options...
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...or think anew
about our lives
and careers.
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Understanding how our minds work isthe most important factor in making
better career decisions.
What Ive learned over the last 10 years:
It looks like mobile phones will catch on after all.
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Me =
square peg
Dental
Hygienist =
round hole
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The Five Reasons
Why Our Brains
Get HeadstuckWhen Making
Career Decisions
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Too much choiceoverwhelms us1
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We usually think of choice as a good thing.
But Barry Schwartz showedthat too much choice actually
stresses us out.
1
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I
ts the P
aradox of Choice.
1
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The paradox of choice means decision making is
more difficult. And when we do make decisions,
were less happy with them.1
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Result:
we feel overwhelmed by the options open to us
and scared of the loss that comes with choice.
... And we always wonder what
might have been...
1
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Were negativelybiased2
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Imagine one of your ancient ancestors sees adark blob out in the distance...
We evolved to think negatively.
Is it a bear or a blueberry bush?
2
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We evolved to think negatively.
Is it a bear or a blueberry bush?
An optimist might have seen a blueberry bush.
If she was right shed eat more of her 5-a-day f or lunch than her pessimistfriend.
Our minds evolved with one priority: safety first.
But if she was wrong...shed be lunch!
2
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Negative thoughts are 3 to 4 times stickier
than positive (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
Evidence:
We need 5 positive comments to every negative for a
happy marriage (Gottman, 2008).
We hate losing twice as much as we love
winning (Kahneman & Tversky 1990).
We are psychologically inflexible. If we try
not to think about something unpleasant we
think about it even more. (Hayes, 1990).
2
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Result:
Were far more
aware of our
weaknesses than
our strengths.
2
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We prioritise the shortterm over the long term.3
We think we make decisions reflecting our long term
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We think we make decisions reflecting our long term
values We think wrong.
For example, a massive 90% of people support organ donation, but some countries
have far higher organ donation rates than others.
Its because the countries on the right have on opt out donation policy, whereas in
countries on the left you have to opt in. So basically, no one bothers.
Why?
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OK, but what about professional decisions?
One experiment asked Doctors what would happen
if they read a patients case notes on the day of their
operation and found...
3
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...that one important drug had not even been tried!
W hat do you think the Doctors did proceed with
the operation , or stop the op to try the drug?
Important drug
not even tried
(drum roll...)
Operation
3
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Most stopped the op to try the drug.
...PHEW!3
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But what happened in the same scenario except
where two different drugs had not been tried?
3
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This time, most of the Doctors let the operation go ahead!
Yet the only change was that the short term complexity of
doing the right thing had slightly increased...3
Heres another example:
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was offering 3 types of subscription:
1. Web only - $59
2. Print only - $125
3. Print & web only - $125
Here s another example:
3
1.
Online only
2. Print only
3. Online &
print
M t l t f th i t AND li
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Most people went for the print AND online
subscription.
84%
0%
16%
And not surprisingly,
no E conomist reader
chose the middle
option.
1. Web only - $59
2. Print only - $125
3. Print & web only - $125
1. Online only
2. Print only
3. Online &
print
3
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1. Web only - $59
2. Print only - $125
3. Print & web only - $125
1. Online only
3. Online &
print
So what did
these rational
people do when
this option was
removed?
3
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1. Web only - $59
2. Print only - $125
3. Print & web only - $125
1. Online only
3. Online &
print 32%
68%
Most changed their minds!
3
Conclusion: we tend to make decisions based on short
term comparisons, not on what we actually value.
So how does this relate to career decision making?
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So how does this relate to career decision making?
For a start, short terms comparisons mean we are highly
influenced by what others do and say.
But our short term bias also leads us into a trap...(take a deep breath).
3
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1. Move away from
things that cause us
discomfort
Move away from:
Anxiety
Doubt
Insecurity
E ek!
Motivation works in two directions:
3
k d
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2. Move
towards things
we value
Move towards:
Meaning
Freedom
Creativity
W oohoo!
3
Motivation works in two directions:
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Away from
discomfort Towards values
Most people say they want to
move this way in their career
3
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Away from
discomfort Towards values
Yet when they do what
usually shows up first is...
discomfort!
3
Eeek!
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Thats right..!
The short term result of moving towards our values is usually
negative thoughts and uncomfortable emotions.
So guess what most of us do next?
Oh, the humanity!
3
Eeek!
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Away from
discomfort Towards values
We Run Away.
3
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Away from
discomfort Towards values
and when we do this brings us relief .
3
We are motivated to move away from discomf ort
Phew!
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Away from
discomfort Towards values
But here it gets really messy...
we avo
id the things that make life w
orthwhile.
If we make it a priority to avoid difficult emotions
Away from
discomfort
x
3
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Towards values
But here it gets really messy...
And if we do this consistently we eventually live a life without
meaning.
we avoid the things that make life worthwhile.
If we make it a priority to avoid difficult emotions
Away from
discomfort
?
3
Result:
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By prioritising happiness in the short term
over things we really value in the long term
Result:
Result:
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By prioritising happiness in the short term
over things we really value in the long term
Result:
we lose control over our lives.
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Our brains think inlinear patterns.4
Minds like making sense of things
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For example, here
we see a trianglewhere none exists.
Harmless enough?
4
Minds like making sense of things.
They love certainty, stories and linear patterns.
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Psychologist Karl Duncker gave
participants a candle, a box of nails,
and several other objects.
He asked them to attach thecandle to the wall.
4
How would you do it?
D k f d th t ti i t t i d t il
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Very few of them thought of using the
inside of the nail box as a candle-holderand nailing this to the wall.
The participants were fixated on the boxs
normal f unction of holding nails.
Duncker f ound that participants tried to nail
the candle directly to the wall or glue it to the
wall by melting it.
4
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In decision making, this is called
functional fixedness.
Functional fixedness has since been shown to apply to
our own identities.4
So what?
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Result:
Linear thinking leads to a feeling or
belief that we can only do what
weve always done.
4
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We trust our minds to fixthe problem.5
O i d incredible
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Our minds are incredible...
Thats why weve left other species far behind.
But weve seen our minds are far from infallible!
Bad with choice Negatively biased Short term Functionally fixed
Our minds evolved to scan the horizon f or threats and anticipate problems.
Theyre interested in safety n
ot f u
lfilmento
r meaning!5
Yet we often seem to
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I know
whats best for you!
Yet we often seem to
forget this.
Instead, we tend to
automatically believe
what our minds tellus.
5
For example, you
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Im too
tired to go for a r un
For example, you
come home knackered
from work and youthink...
5
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Outcome:
You dont go for a run.
You
tend to
believe you
rthoughts and behave as if they
are true.
5
Im too
tired to go for a r un
Even though staying healthy
might be a long term value...
Even though tiredness does not
physically prevent you from
going f or a run...
Thi i k iti
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Im too old
to changecareer
This is known as cognitive
fusion and it affects all
areas of our lives.
5
Thi i k cogniti e
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T here are no
jobs anyway
5
This is known as cognitive
fusion and it affects all
areas of our lives.
Although this presentation may be light-hearted,
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there is no doubt the depth of anxiety and
conf usion caused by career paralysis.
Ive certainly been there and bought the T-shirt.*
We trust our minds to fix the
problem, but when it doesnt, we
start to look f or reasons why.
We start to think its ourfault theres something
wrong with us!
We look f or a culprit,
and often concludethat we need to try
and fix ourselves
bef ore we do
anything else.
* Disclaimer: I didnt actually buy a T-shirt.
I used to tell myself:
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I used to tell myself:
Secure
Certain
AssertiveConfident
Motivated
Knowledgeableetc....
I cant change career because first I need to feel more...
5
So I tried to sort my head out Think more positively!
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So I tried to sort my head out. Think more positively!
A lot of people think like this:
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A lot of people think like this:
Once I get rid of these nasty
thoughts / feelings THEN I can act.
But research has shown that trying to
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avoid negative thoughts and feelings
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actually increases their intensity
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and frequency.
R lt
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By waiting for our minds to tell us were
ready to change career we get stuck.
Result:
The 5 Cognitive Biases That Cause
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The 5 Cognitive Biases That Cause
Career Paralysis:
We prioritise the short term over the long term.
Were negatively biased.
Too much choice overwhelms us.
We think we can only do what weve always done.
We trust our minds to fix the problem.
1
2
3
4
5
So what now? Please note! You may have to download this presentation and view
in slide show mode for the links to work. Im sorry - I dont make
the r ules you know.
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Career Paralysis:How to Get Unstuck
And Find Your
Direction
Read Part 2...
Its f ull of practical tips, suggestions and free resources to get out of career paralysis.
y
Thank you for reading!
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Rob Archer is an Occupational
Psychologist based in London.
He offers coaching, training and
assessment to help individuals and
businesses get unstuck and make
meaningful change.
Get in touch:By e-mail
Via LinkedIn
READ my useful Career Change Blog
MARVEL at my Website
Go to part 2 of this presentation.
Thank you for reading!