What's next?

The start of the year gives us time to pause. To celebrate the new, we must also acknowledge the past. I've listened to many conversations last year about 'finding meaning at work.' This year, thus far, it's mostly 'What’s next?'

Working from home has carved time to think about what now matters most. Any work/life event, a new year, new job, new work environment, etc, always nudges questions about one's meaning and purpose. But we're often too busy to pause, or incapable of facing what matters most. 

 Are you looking for meaning, by chance? 

How about going backwards, just for a minute. Take a gimlet-eyed look at your career through the years. You'll see something new. Like the archaeologist, dig beneath the surface and eventually you'll dust away what's been covered. Get out a pen, paper. The power of writing cannot be overstated. James Pennebaker book, ''The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us'' tell us that, ‘’words reveal important parts of people’s personalities and the ways they think.’’ Begin the day with just five minutes of spontaneous writing. That's it, five minutes. Don’t worry about format, just write -you're now connecting past to present.

 If you’re still unable to get a breakthrough, get up and get going for a walk. Not only is it good for the soul, but walking stimulates the thinking juices. There are always possibilities to ponder; not what you think you should do but what opportunities inspire you. Use Pennebaker’s method. 

Rather than writing about the present, write the future, and you'll see form taking shape.

As we leave behind the year of the rat and welcome the year of the ox, looking across the landscape of your career and thinking about possibilities feels like the right path to take. 

For more reflective questions and exercises, Now It's Clear, the Career You Own