As I'm fond of telling my clients, we often get so busy doing our jobs day to day that we forget to take time to think about our actual careers. No good can come of this. Potential dangers include: career malaise or flat out dissatisfaction; missing out on key opportunities; watching others enjoy opportunities that could have been ours; or even worse, having someone else (read employer) making a career decision for us.
It's easy to fall victim this career planning disengagement but it's equally easy to mitigate it. We're at the start of a new year--an organic time to stop and take stock. You may have recently had a review or gotten a salary/bonus message. What better time to take 30-60 minutes to do something so beneficial and relevant. Skip the gym one night if you have to (yes, even I'm saying that), forgo your favorite TV show or give up Facebook/Twitter for a night. This is important!! Don't forget, your career is a big piece of your overall healthy and wellness.
Here, I'll even make it easy for you. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What direction would you ultimately like to see your career take?
- What is your relationship with your career?
- On a scale of 1-5, how happy are you with your career?
- What expectations do you have of your career?
Extra Punch Question: What dreams have you given up/are not actively pursuing regarding your career?
Well, that should provide an effective script for some interesting self-dialog. Step One is simply to answer these questions as honestly as possible. Sit with the answers for a bit. Read them over every few days or so.
Next Step = what to do with these answers. Stay tuned.
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