When you attend a party, what do you talk about? Do you talk about what you would like to do with your life, or what you are actually doing? Do you head straight for the punch bowl when someone mentions work? If talking about your human resources job makes you squirm a little, it may be time to think about making some changes in your work life.

Unfulfilled hopes and dreams can bring about feelings of restlessness. But what if you could turn some of those ideas into reality? Once you recognise the options, you will be on your way to liberating your HR career.

Open to change

The only way to truly liberate yourself is to be open to change. If the mere mention of change makes you quiver, relax. Change can come in many forms, and it does not have to happen overnight.

Break free

Are you living to work or working to live? Have you become the person in the office who turns out the lights on the way out? Release the invisible shackles from your ankles and walk out of the office before sunset. You will be amazed at how liberating this one small step can be.

Inner calling

Now that you have secured more free time, think about making some positive changes in your life. Walk to a park where you can tune out the noise of everyday life and listen to your inner voice. Listen to it carefully, for you are about to embark on a new journey.

Not too late

If you entered the workforce right after completing your school, you probably didn’t get much time to explore all of your options. It is not too late to begin your personal journey regardless of your age.

The keyword here is personal. You have some choices to make. You can continue down your current path, or you can veer off course a bit and take a road less travelled.

Before you stick with the well-manicured route, let’s consider other trails.

Volunteer work

Volunteer work can be very rewarding and lead to other opportunities. But before you pack your bags to join Greenpeace, be sure this is really your passion.

Start out small. Find a local organisation that needs part-time volunteers and make the commitment. In the meantime, don’t worry about growing too old for volunteer work. Organisations have taken volunteers who are well into their 70s.

Back to school

Imagine if you had returned to college four years ago to complete your degree — you would have it by now. Do you want to be looking back at the same situation four years from now? It is time to just do it. Contact your local college or look online to get enrolment information and apply for financial aid. The degree you dreamed about may now be within your reach.

Be an explorer

If you are yearning to be more worldly, consider taking extended time off to travel. The lessons you will learn in this journey cannot be taught in any classroom.

By exploring all your options, you may discover you are quite content with your chosen path. Wouldn’t it be ironic if you were the one talking about work at the next party?