20 Career Qs for 2020 That'll Change Everything

In order to have a good 20/20 vision and choose the best career path, what is necessary?

I address the necessary ingredients as '3 Manifestation As' [Ref1] and each is described as an ongoing series on Linkedin with a personal story:

1. Align with Your Vision -- Know what you really want
2. Be Aware of Who You Are -- Know yourself
3. Learn to be Agile -- Know how to seize the opportunities of each moment

Additional, 4th A is Appreciation. Only with the gratitude of where we start from can we move into the best next steps to fulfill our vision.

Align with Your Vision

1.What is the most extraordinary thing which I’d like to see happen in my career in the next 10 years?

==> Your Vision for 2030. It may seem like a long time, but we can also remember 2010 not that long ago.

2. Do I see the light when I think about my vision?

—> No matter how unlikely our mind tells us this vision is, if we feel lightness when thinking about it, it can help to move us forward.

3. If I were to achieve that vision, what am I afraid might happen?

—> Being aware of our fears gives us back our strength.

4. What I don't like in my current position?

—> Often it is easier to see what bothers us, or we are unhappy with. By focusing on the opposite of it, what we really want becomes clearer.

5. What is the best next step for my career?

—> Even if we feel good where we are, what could be the next step which would expand us even more?

6. Do I feel the light when thinking of that next step, or is there heaviness?

—> No matter if your goal is to help millions, if you don’t feel eager and excited it is not right for you.

7. If there are many options on the next step, which one is the first horizon goal, which one is the second etc.?

---> If we have many goals, it could be that all are an option, but at the different times. Our third horizon goal comes after we reach the second horizon goal etc.

8. What is my intention ie. why do I want this?

—> Many want to give to charity not because they feel eager to help but because they think that the rich give to others, and this will somehow make them rich too. If you do not feel abundance when giving, this action will not bring you more abundance.

9. What are the possible results of my next career steps?

--> There is no just one future we have in our career; with free will there are many alternatives. Do we have the strategy for all of our futures?

10. What are the worst outcomes if I decide on that next step?

--> We may be very excited on our next step, but being aware of the downsides and talking with those who went through what we want to accomplish may give us a different perspective.

11. Do I have the strategy if the worst happens?

--> If I already decided to go with my next step, do I have the strategy for the worst? In official terms, this is called BATNA, or plan B. If the economy fails, or my business becomes obsolete, what is my strategy?

Be Aware of Who You Are

12. What are my innate gifts?

—> What comes easy to us is our natural gift; and we often disregard it since it comes so effortlessly. To go deeper we may consider looking into personality types 【Ref2】.

13. Am I using my innate gifts in the current career?

--> If not, why? Can I start valuing and including them in my everyday work?

14. What are the main job-related skills I got from my career so far?

—> be that ability to manage teams, innovate, or work efficiently with different personalities, this skill will be our leverage in our next career steps.

15. What job-related skills can I improve upon?

--> Knowing what you want, you can focus on improving your skills starting with the job/in the career you currently have.

16. Which general skills can I improve upon?

—> general skills - which I also call life-saving skills - are the basis to any job-related skills; these include emotional processing i.e ability to deal with your emotions, mind clarity, deep listening, intuition etc.  

Learn to be Agile

17. Am I scared of the change or welcome it?

—> Many want to change for the better, but forget that this involves change.

18. Am I open to all possibilities in each moment, or holding rigidly to my expectations?

--> Rigidly holding on to the results is the fastest way to shut down any opportunities.

19. Am I agile, or A-agile, in my current career?

—-> Many think that being agile means changing industries according to market trends; or, changing jobs to more booming industries. If we don’t stay on target with our vision, being agile would just mean running in circles with no meaningful results.

20. Can I be agile where I am?

--> It is easy to fail into a trap of thinking ‘if I only had that job or a position, all would be well’. Our job is not our purpose. Being a doctor or a teacher - a purpose of supporting others can be manifested in many ways. Frequently changing our careers or aimlessly daydreaming, wanting to escape where we are, can make it impossible to see that we often can live our purpose AND be agile where we are.

Let me know Your insights after answering to these questions!

About Ivana

An organizational coach, SME on Career change and development, and a published author in Shanghai, Ivana helps increase team efficiency and job satisfaction, as well as individuals to leverage their gifts for internal and external prosperity.

【Ref1】Ivana's 2020 public speaking engagements "True Knowing", "Know Yourself" and "Live Your True Calling: Strategy to Living Your Best Life".

【Ref2】Live Your True Calling: From a Job That’s Eating You Alive to a Life You Love, by Ivana Pazek, ivanabooks.com

#coaching #shanghai #china #truecalling #ispost