Three steps you can take right now to change the outcome of your career in 2023.

When I ask my clients what keeps them up at night, one of the most common answers is “the practicality of finding another job that I want.” For others, it’s the difficulty of deciding whether to stay in their current field of employment or dive into something totally new.?

So, where do you start when you don’t know what to do next?

If you want to do work that inspires you, aligns with your values and lifestyle you need to take control and change the game you’re playing.

It’s time for a new strategy.

Three things you can do right now to change the game and take control of the results.

1. Reflect

Reflection prepares you for the future.

Successful executives, sportspeople and their coaches know you can’t move forward until you know exactly where you are in the game. That’s why they spend so much time reviewing their game plan and performance before they prepare for the next match. It should be no different for any of us who have a goal in mind.

The process of self-assessment is a vital part of defining your way forward. It’s a process which builds skills you’re going to use all your life. It reinforces the?mindset?which tells you that you can improve, learn more and develop new skills. In other words, it reminds you that you can change; you’re not limited by your current situation or abilities. It also builds up your?resilience?because you learn to reflect on strategies and techniques you’ve used in the past, and choose how to apply them to your new challenges or directions.

2. Plan

If you haven’t worked out where you want to go, you won’t get there.

I know I’ve said it before, but I can’t emphasise enough the important of setting goals. Research ?has shown that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals simply by writing them down. If you haven’t done it, set aside some time to think about where you want to head. Write it down. If you don't know where to start - start by describing your perfect future. Brainstorm with yourself – don’t set limits. Just write it all down.??

3. Take massive, committed action

Big goals need big actions if you want to reach them. You can’t be hesitant. You can’t wait for a ‘better time.’ If you want to build the career you really want, you need to commit to taking one action every day. Yes, you’ll be afraid sometimes, and yes, you won’t always succeed. But becoming used to learning from your failures will be part of the journey so be prepared for it.

Taking action and being committed to it means growing every day, and while it won’t be easy, it will be worth it. When you own your goals and your strategies, they start to drive you. They are very compelling.

Not sure what you want to do? Ask yourself these questions.

• What is important to you??Your beliefs and your values matter, so take time to really consider what they are. Working for a company with similar values is very motivating and rewarding.
• What do you enjoy doing??Are you an indoor or outdoor person? Do you like to work with others or alone? Do you like to create things or maintain them? Think about what you want to get out of your job.
• What do you dislike doing??Do you avoid customer contact or working with free thinkers? Do you hate writing or working with numbers? Does technology scare you? Obviously, there’ll always be aspects to our roles that we don’t love, but you want a role that minimises that.
• What are you good at??Working to your strengths gives you the best chance to make an impact and build a better life.
• Know where you want to go. Even if you don’t yet know what job to aim for or company to approach, you do know something about where you see yourself going. Do you want to aim for an executive role or are you happiest in a ‘doing role’? Paint yourself a mental picture of how you see yourself and your workdays in the future.

Look back over your answers. They will give you clear indications of the direction you should take.

Once you have written them down, it’s time to work on your game plan. What do you need to do to get started on your new path? What skills do you need? What experience? What support? And, importantly, where will you get these things? Remember you’re designing a strategy and it probably won’t take you instantly to your goal. It’s a process – a journey. Be patient. You are planning the best way to position yourself to take a step closer to your goals.

The ultimate reward after all the work is successfully achieving the career you’ve aimed for. Believe me; the feeling of success you feel as you reach each step along the way is a powerful motivator to keep you going. There’s nothing quite as exciting as winning a position you worked for, rather than one which happened to come your way.

Planning your career strategy isn’t easy but it IS exciting. If you need some help with your planning, contact us or take advantage of our complimentary one day pass for our online Career Clarity Program . I promise it will get you headed in the right direction!