Career Path Clarity

Being confident in your career path takes introspection and time to discover who you are and what you want with your life. 2023 is a new year, let’s make it the best year yet!

Below are some reflection questions to help you narrow down your career goals for 2023.

? Question #1: What did I want to be when I was a kid?

You might think that is irrelevant to now but let me tell you a story…

When I was a kid/teenager, I wanted to be a Vet because I loved animals.

I would spend hours drawing the perfect barn that I would conduct my business out of, fantasizing about having full control of my work life, and delivering services that changed people’s lives.

When I dug deep to what I really wanted, it was to be self-employed and run my own business that impacted lives of people around me.

Although I’m obviously not a Vet, I have achieved the business aspect of my childhood dream.

Dig deep into your childhood dream and determine what is truly at the bottom of it.

? Question #2: What tasks do I like and dislike about my current and past work experiences?

One of my clients was struggling to determine what she wanted to do with her career.

She liked her job but was no longer feeling excited about going to work

I tasked her with writing down the things she liked and disliked about her work, looking at each task rather than the job as a whole.

She came back with a task list of things she loved doing and was able to see more clearly.

She realized she wanted to spend more time working with people and less time doing behind the scenes tasks.

She started applying and secured a job in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is loving it!

? Question #3: How do you want your friends and family to remember you?

Let’s visualize you are sitting on your front porch, you are nearing the end of your life and are reflecting on the past.

As you are sitting there reflecting, start to picture the legacy you want to leave behind.

Perhaps you want to leave a financial legacy to your kids.

Maybe you made an impact in your community.

Or you lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every day.

Whatever you see, that is an indication of how you want your life to look.

Often my clients will feel feelings rather than tangible things in their visualization.

Those feelings, goals, and impressions you feel during your visualization can be taken into account during your career discovery.

Start to think about jobs, lifestyle, business ventures, finances, etc., that will help you move towards those feelings and goals.

? Question #4: What kind of work environment do you prefer?

One of my clients was an introvert. He was a programmer that worked from home.

Many people thought that this would be the perfect job for him, he doesn’t have to talk to people on a daily basis.

But he was feeling sad and depressed.

He realized that he was lonely and needed more human interaction.

He ended up quitting his job and working in customer service role and really feeling uplifted.

He then went back to programming, his passion, but worked in an office in a more collaborative environment.

Your work environment can make or break a great job!

? Question #5: What themes keep coming up for you?

When you look back on all five questions, you will start to see themes.

Take a few minutes to think about the themes and trends that you can see throughout.

Here is a recap of the 5 questions to help you gain clarity on your career goals:

#1 What did I want to be when I was a kid?

#2 What tasks do I like and dislike about my current and past work experiences?

#3 How do you want your friends and family to remember you?

#4 What kind of work environment do you prefer?

#5 What themes keep coming up for you?