Problem-Solve Your Career Dilemmas

This article only takes 4 minutes to read, but by the end you will know how to:

1.??????Discover how to do your best thinking

2.??????Unlock career dilemmas with your career motive

3.??????Consider career choices over the short and long term

?

WHAT ARE CAREER DILEMMAS AND WHY ARE THEY SO PAINFUL?

A career dilemma is a career choice where you don't have the complete information needed, but which will have a significant impact on your career pathway.

We all face difficult and anxious career dilemmas.

You lose sleep playing scenario after scenario in your mind.?

The longer they take hold, the longer they drain your energy, your time and your momentum.

So, it’s important to stop the swirl early and take control of the process.

?

THREE WAYS TO PROBLEM-SOLVE CAREER DILEMMAS

1/???DISCOVER HOW YOU DO YOUR BEST THINKING

Career dilemmas are career headaches.

They create a lot of mental swirl which leads to a problem-solving paralysis.

Often it can be counter-productive to 'just think' about the decision in your mind. This is often a passive process, where you stew mindlessly on the challenges and unknowns of the choice.

Instead, you want to get pro-active. You want to do your best thinking.

Here are three ways to discover this:

1/ HOW DO I PROBLEM SOLVE BEST?

Personally, I like to write things down when I have a big decision to make. The process of writing helps to streamline my thoughts into a logical flow. It often leads me to better questions and as a result, clearer choices.

Others create decision-making matrixes, designing their own criteria, and scoring the choice by several factors to create a clear ranking.

Some people like to talk their choices through, either one-on-one or in a group.

Others like to visualise the choice. They create roadmaps, flow-charts, mood-boards. They visual the choice and the outcome.

There are many ways to problem solve, but the key is to understand what brings the best out of you. How you like to reason.

Consider this first. Draw on the past. Test it out.

2/ WHERE DO I THINK BEST?

This may be a bit easier to work out but most of us have a preferred environment where we do our best thinking.

For many, including myself, it’s finding a quiet moment at home on the sofa, coffee in hand, focus music in the background.

Some people prefer the buzz of a workspace or coffee shop. Some like to be on-the-move and do their best thinking on a walk or at the gym.

Either way, setting your environment up to maximise your focus is essential.

3/ WHEN DO I THINK BEST?

To do your best thinking you need to be fresh.

When do you feel most energised? First thing in the day, after breakfast or late afternoon? Weekday or weekend?

This isn't just about our brains but when we can create space in our lives.

There is no point trying to do your best thinking after a hectic 12-hour day, or the morning after a big night out. Get clear when you think best and when you can think your best.

And time. Time matters.

You won't problem solve this dilemma in 35 minutes before running out to meet a friend. Get real. You need two clear hours with no distractions.

So when you are faced with a career dilemma, consider first:

How do I think best?

-- >How do I problem-solve

-- > Where do I think best

-- > When do I think best

?

2/???UNLOCK CAREER DILEMMAS WITH YOUR CAREER MOTIVE

?

At the heart of all career dilemmas is a choice. A decision that must be made.

How do you make a decision? You understand what is most important to you.

Here’s how:

You want to identify your career motive. Your career motive is what drives you to progress. What motivates you to aim higher.

Here’s some well-recognised career motives:

-?????Progression

-?????Learning curve

-?????Autonomy

-?????Geographic mobility

-?????Ownership

-?????Creativity

-?????Work-life balance

-?????Compensation

-?????Team culture

-?????Management responsibility

Many of these will appeal to us, but it’s important to do the work of understanding what is most important.

Can you pick your top three? Can you pick one out above all others? This is probably your true career motive.

If you don’t know where to start? Try asking yourself:

1/ In the past, what am I most proud of and why?

2/ Over my career, when have I been most motivated and why?

3/ Today, what aspect of my career do I value most and why?

4/ What excites me most about my future career?

Once you understand your career motive, this becomes your number 1 decision-making factor in your career dilemma.

?

3/???CONSIDER YOUR CAREER CHOICE OVER THE SHORT AND LONG TERM

Tough choices can be all consuming in the present. Yet, our choices have an impact long in to the future.

How do we balance the two?

You don’t want to just think about the next move. You want to think about what comes after this move.

Whether this move creates more opportunities in the direction of your long-term goals.

So, ask yourself:

-?????What direction do I want to head in over the next 5 years?

-?????What opportunities do I need to create?

-?????What environment do I need be in?

-?????What skills are going to get me there?

-?????Does this move deliver on these?

Don’t solve career dilemmas only in the present.

Consider where the choice will lead you in the future.

________________________________________________________________

That’s it – just 4 minutes!

In this article you learnt how to get proactive in problem-solving career dilemmas.

1.??????Discover how you do your best thinking

2.??????Unlock career dilemmas with your career motive

3.??????Consider career choices over the short and long term

If you want to take action there are two ways I can help:

?? To maximise your early career, schedule a free coaching call

--> https://calendly.com/arc-coaching

?? Follow me for more content like this.

Alec ??

I'm in your corner