career paralysis - the five reasons why our brains get 'headstuck' making career decisions
Post on 29-May-2018
224 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 1/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 2/100
Is this you?
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 3/100
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 4/100
Which you really should be grateful f or...
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 5/100
But which you hate.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 6/100
So youre looking f or a
new job!
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 7/100
But not just any job!
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 8/100
You want a job that
actually fulfils you.
You want meaning.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 9/100
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 10/100
(Big bu
t)
BUT
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 11/100
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 12/100
You dont want to lose your
lifestyle
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 13/100
And youre
worried
about
stepping into
the unknown.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 14/100
Should you be taking more of a risk?
Y ou think to yourself...
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 15/100
If so, how big a risk?
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 16/100
Isnt it already
too late?
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 17/100
Some days you
wonder where onearth your life is
heading.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 18/100
You feel like youre losing touch with
who you really are...
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 19/100
...and even the simplest decisions are
starting to seem difficult.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 20/100
I
f so, you are not alone...
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 21/100
Nearly 70% of us do not feel engaged at work.
Over half of us would start over if we felt we could.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 22/100
...its our
brainsthat are
to blame.(They cant cope).
And its not our fault...
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 23/100
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.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 24/100
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.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 25/100
Lets start at the very beginning.A very good place to start.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 26/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 27/100
The point is, the kind of problems
our brains evolved to solve
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 28/100
are very different to the kind of
problems we face today.
The point is, the kind of problems
our brains evolved to solve
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 29/100
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.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 30/100
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!
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 31/100
In the Information Age our choices expanded rapidly.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 32/100
Youd be tested and then scientifically matched by computer to...
your ideal career!
Thankfully, computers came along to help.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 33/100
This approach had two assumptions:
a static work environment and a static self .
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 34/100
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).
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 35/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 36/100
So the good news is
historically speaking, careeropportunities have never
been greater.
Most of us could be whoever we want
to be.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 37/100
But the bad news is...
Our brains are
not set up to
deal with thisnew type of
career
decision.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 38/100
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 39/100
But less good when
we need to choosebetween lots of
options...
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 40/100
...or think anew
about our lives
and careers.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 41/100
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.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 42/100
Me =
square peg
Dental
Hygienist =
round hole
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 43/100
The Five Reasons
Why Our Brains
Get HeadstuckWhen Making
Career Decisions
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 44/100
Too much choiceoverwhelms us1
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 45/100
We usually think of choice as a good thing.
But Barry Schwartz showedthat too much choice actually
stresses us out.
1
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 46/100
I
ts the P
aradox of Choice.
1
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 47/100
The paradox of choice means decision making is
more difficult. And when we do make decisions,
were less happy with them.1
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 48/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 49/100
Were negativelybiased2
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 50/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 51/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 52/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 53/100
Result:
Were far more
aware of our
weaknesses than
our strengths.
2
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 54/100
We prioritise the shortterm over the long term.3
We think we make decisions reflecting our long term
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 55/100
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?
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 56/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 57/100
...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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 58/100
Most stopped the op to try the drug.
...PHEW!3
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 59/100
But what happened in the same scenario except
where two different drugs had not been tried?
3
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 60/100
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:
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 61/100
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 &
M t l t f th i t AND li
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 62/100
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 &
3
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 63/100
1. Web only - $59
2. Print only - $125
3. Print & web only - $125
1. Online only
3. Online &
So what did
these rational
people do when
this option was
removed?
3
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 64/100
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?
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 65/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 66/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 67/100
2. Move
towards things
we value
Move towards:
Meaning
Freedom
Creativity
W oohoo!
3
Motivation works in two directions:
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 68/100
Away from
discomfort Towards values
Most people say they want to
move this way in their career
3
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 69/100
Away from
discomfort Towards values
Yet when they do what
usually shows up first is...
discomfort!
3
Eeek!
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 70/100
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!
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 71/100
Away from
discomfort Towards values
We Run Away.
3
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 72/100
Away from
discomfort Towards values
and when we do this brings us relief .
3
We are motivated to move away from discomf ort
Phew!
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 73/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 74/100
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:
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 75/100
By prioritising happiness in the short term
over things we really value in the long term
Result:
Result:
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 76/100
By prioritising happiness in the short term
over things we really value in the long term
Result:
we lose control over our lives.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 77/100
Our brains think inlinear patterns.4
Minds like making sense of things
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 78/100
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.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 79/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 80/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 81/100
In decision making, this is called
functional fixedness.
Functional fixedness has since been shown to apply to
our own identities.4
So what?
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 82/100
Result:
Linear thinking leads to a feeling or
belief that we can only do what
weve always done.
4
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 83/100
We trust our minds to fixthe problem.5
O i d incredible
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 84/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 85/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 86/100
Im too
tired to go for a r un
For example, you
come home knackered
from work and youthink...
5
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 87/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 88/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 89/100
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,
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 90/100
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:
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 91/100
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!
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 92/100
So I tried to sort my head out. Think more positively!
A lot of people think like this:
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 93/100
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
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 94/100
avoid negative thoughts and feelings
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 95/100
actually increases their intensity
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 96/100
and frequency.
R lt
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 97/100
By waiting for our minds to tell us were
ready to change career we get stuck.
Result:
The 5 Cognitive Biases That Cause
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 98/100
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.
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 99/100
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!
8/8/2019 Career Paralysis - The Five Reasons Why Our Brains Get 'Headstuck' Making Career Decisions
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/career-paralysis-the-five-reasons-why-our-brains-get-headstuck 100/100
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!
top related