Gaining Career Clarity #2

In the first post of this series, we addressed the question: Who am I (at the DNA level)? What keywords describe my superpower?

Here's our next crucial question for mapping our career direction: Where do I want to go?

That turns into a series of questions, actually, such as:

• Do I want to remain in a (small/large) company or do I want to go out on my own (or start a company?)
• Do I want to remain in this geographical area, or move elsewhere (where?)
• Do I want to move up "the ladder" in my current (or a similar) company in order to land at this type of job: __________________?
• Is my current expertise marketable or do I need to invest some years in developing other skills and knowledge?
• Am I hoping to retire (when?), or do I want to cultivate an ongoing work practice?

I reached a point in my professional life about 15 years ago when I knew that if I was to achieve my aspirations, I needed to go out on my own and create a unique role. I knew that I would not flourish in a big company and that I did not want to manage others. I also knew I wanted a "portable" business that I could take with me wherever we'd move. And my passion and skills are such that I don't anticipate some kind of off-the-grid retirement - I will continue doing clarity consulting, writing, and speaking.

Here's the deal: your map is up to you. It's not up to some company to craft your future for you. You're a free agent. You call the shots. The world is full of ever-growing, ever-evolving opportunities.

So...where do you want to go?

Steve Woodruff is known as the King of Clarity.