Daily, unrelenting headaches. Doctor visits. Medication. Exercise. Chiropractic care

My husband experimented with every reasonable treatment offered for the headaches that plagued him for months. With no cause determined except stress, he made a big decision to make a major career change.

Everyone who hears his story of transitioning from full-time ministry as a pastor and church planter to “what he does now” laughs and wonders.

How did that happen? How did my husband go from ministry to _____ ?

What he does now is so far removed, on the surface, from what he did before, that people shake their heads, widen their eyes, and listen intently.

If you knew my husband, the similarities of what he does now to ministry would become clearer. He likes to right-wrongs. He wants to make a difference.

How do any of us land in the careers we have? Behind every career, there is a story.

Carrie’s career changed with one good morning tweet. Mine changed with a Facebook post. Alexandra Watkins found an unconventional path to success. My husband’s career changed with a decision to “do something, anything, different.”

If you want to make a change, how does it start? How do you get from where you are now to where you want to be?

Be open to the unexpected. I didn’t expect to become a business owner and entrepreneur. My husband didn’t expect or plan for his current career. But we both stayed open to possibilities and ideas and we both ended up in jobs that we love (usually). Whitney Johnson calls this dating your dreams — you may need to try out several paths before you find the right one.

Show up every day. You will not get where you want to go without working very hard, with disciplined, focused, consistent effort. To get where you want to go, keep moving forward. To land his current career, my husband persevered through two years of interviews, a hiring freeze, and extensive digging into his personal background. In each phase of the process, he had to show up with his very best, which required personal fitness and readiness, both physical and mental.

Expect challenges. There is not a day in my business that I don’t face challenges. Some are larger than others. I have wanted to quit — more than once. Nothing about starting and growing a business is easy. Quitting is not an option. Instead, I daily choose to believe that what I am doing is absolutely worth it.

Stay focused on what truly matters. If you are transitioning to a new career, you may feel discouraged and wonder what’s ahead. Even after you are settled, you may face setbacks. The only way around them is to remember what matters most.

Apart from my faith,  people motivate me most. My husband. My three precious daughters. Our life now. Our life in the future. The talented people who choose to work with me in this business. Our amazing clients and the good work they are doing in the world. All the people our work touches. If you are reading this, you are among them. It is for each of you that I do what I do. You are the reason I am here. You are the reason I persevere.

How do you get from where you are to where you want to be? Keep walking. Keep trusting. Don’t give up.

Tell me something! Which of these four tips resonates most with you? What will you do, today, to move closer to your desired future?

Becky Robinson

I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.