Do you spend time thinking about where your career isheaded, or do you wish you even had time to thinkabout your career?
Time to think about your career is crucial. Withoutit, you go along, more often than not, withoutdifficulty, until the day that something happens.Then, you are left without direction or a plan.
Your career is something that you need to think about,plan for, and work on regularly, not just when you arelooking for a new job, and you need an updated resume.If you think about your career now, on your timetable,when it works for you, decisions you make about yourfuture will be easier for you.
So, How Do You Make Time To Think About Your Career?Follow These Four Steps Below:
1. Don't Let Being Busy Win
One of the reasons your career may not be where youwant it to be is because you are busy. We all havebills to pay, and that requires having a job, andputting in the time and effort necessary to keep it.As a result, your career aspirations could becomesecondary to your paycheck. But, that doesn't meanthat you have to abandon them completely. If I said toyou, think about your career over the next seven daysand I will give you a million dollars, I bet that youwould find the time to think about your career. Youwould do what you have to do, because you wanted themoney. Why not have the same intensity about yourcareer without money pushing you, because having acareer you love is worth the effort.
2. Commit To The Process
Time to think about your career will not be given toyou; so you have to commit to taking it. This doesnot mean that you have to allocate days or weeks withnothing else to think about except your career, buttaking an hour here, or half an hour there, on aregular basis will make a tremendous difference.Without a commitment to yourself and your career, thistime will not materialize.
I have many clients that ask me what they should donext in their career. I ask them to think about theanswer. What you are supposed to do next in yourcareer becomes apparent once you give yourself thetime to let the answer appear. Time is what allows youto get in touch with yourself and what's important toyou. Time is the foundation for career success.
3. Schedule Time To Think
Ask yourself, "When will I think about my career?"Knowing your body and your schedule, when's the besttime for you to think? If you get your best thinkingdone earlier in the day, get up 15 minutes earlier tothink. If you are not a morning person, what time isgood for you? Lunchtime? After work? The weekends?Choose a time that is right for you.
Open your calendar and put this time into it. Look atyour calendar in the morning and in the evening beforeyou go to bed. This will keep the schedule alive inyour mind.
4. Think
Once you have made the time to think, find a quietplace. Take deep breaths, as many as you need to calmyour mind. Your mind will want to wander. Bringyourself back. Remind yourself why you are doing this.Your goal is to be able to visualize what you shoulddo next in your career. Focus on the importance ofthis goal and refocus your thinking.
As you are thinking, have something nearby to captureyour thoughts. You'll want to remember what you havedescribed in your mind, so you can ponder now, as wellas later. If you routinely follow your thinkingschedule, your career plan will begin to surface. Onceyou can see your next move clearly, (or at least someof the elements that are important to you), you are onyour way to making it happen.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, soit might as well be a life you love!
Copyright: Copyright c 2006-2008 Deborah Brown-Volkman
About the Author:| Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998. We work with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are out of work or overworked. Deborah is also the creator of the Career Escape Program(TM) and author of Coach Yourself To A New Career: A Book To Discover Your Ultimate Profession. Deborah Brown-Volkman can be reached at: |
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