A trigger event is a person, place, thing, or situation that elicits an intense or unexpected emotional response.
A trigger could be health-related, like suffering a heart attack, being diagnosed with an incurable disease, or learning you’re okay after having a medical scare. Or emotional in nature, such as the loss of a loved one, a divorce, a breakup, or the birth of a child. Or even professional, if you unexpectedly lost your job in a reorg or a favorite coworker suddenly announced they were striking out on their own.
A trigger event can be positive or negative, but in all cases, it’s a specific action or set of actions that causes something else to happen. And in the context of your career, it can spur incredible growth.
Here are three reasons why:
1. It’s a wake-up call and instantly provides clarity.
Trigger events have a way of shaking away the cobwebs of your professional life and highlighting what matters most. If you’ve been mindlessly moving through your career, a trigger will ensure you pay attention and evaluate everything about your current situation. Suddenly, good enough isn’t, and tolerating a mediocre or soul-crushing career is unthinkable. Looking at your status quo through the lens of that trigger provides a wake-up call that something needs to change and clarity on exactly what.
2. It’s a catalyst for change.
When we experience a trigger event, it can be the nudge we need to finally take action on our career dreams, especially those we may have pushed aside in the name of more “practical” pursuits. You can use this time to reassess your life, think through your decisions and choices up until now, and take the first steps to change your career for the better. The trigger reminds us that life is short and there’s no time like the present to go for our goals.
3. It helps you direct your energy toward building the new.
Triggers have a funny way of focusing your efforts. Pre-trigger, you may not have spent much time thinking about how and with whom you spent your time and whether they helped you achieve your goals. And even if you did, you likely dismissed anything or anyone not serving you because you mistakenly believed you had plenty of time.
The awareness a trigger brings helps you see that your attention and intention need to be aligned right now on what truly matters and gives you the courage to walk away from anything or anyone who doesn’t fall into that category. Saying no to those things and people means saying yes to those who do, freeing up your time to direct your efforts on creating the new.
Trigger events, whether positive or negative, often come without warning, which can be jarring and prompt an intense emotional reaction. But when viewed through the lens of career opportunity, they can spur incredible growth by providing a wake-up call and instant clarity, serving as a catalyst for change, and helping you direct your energy on building the new.
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