Far too often I watch talented candidates make professional decisions based on fear and emotional motivators. While fear can sometimes be a healthy motivator, more often than that it can prohibit the growth that comes from stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a calculated risk. The most prevalent fear I see in my candidates is the fear of the unknown – most often associated with a job in a new city or town. I have even seen this with candidates who are just afraid of being the “new kid” and don’t want to have lunch with a new group of people – turning down higher salaries and greater creative opportunities than they had imagined all because they aren’t sure how day to day life will be from moment to moment. It’s scary, it’s uncomfortable, yes, but aren’t most rewarding experiences a little uncomfortable and difficult at the beginning? The different between those who achieve more out of their professional life and those who do not is ACTION. Those who dream and talk continue to dream and talk for years at the same station in life. Then there are those who dream, talk and DO. They take a personal risk for a great opportunity and 6 months later reap the rewards. Turning down a unique creative opportunity for more money and a coveted place at a top ad agency in order to stay put and avoid the scariness of moving is a fear-based decision. Don’t let fear motivate or de-motivate you when making a professional decision – let wisdom, research, intelligence and logic get you there. Read here.

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