Even if you don’t believe in the New Year’s Resolution thing, there are probably a few ideas rolling around in your head of things that you want to upgrade, release or change in the coming months. Maybe you’ve picked a “word” or a “theme” for your year.
This is all great! My favorite part of annual cycles is the opportunity it provides for us to step back and assess our path. Which yes, even if it feels a little cliche right now, is something we all need to do from time-to-time.
If you don’t like doing it on January 1 with the masses, wait for the Chinese New Year later this month or for your birthday or for the Spring Solstice. But allow yourself the space and time to make some conscious decisions about what you want for your life!
Intentional, conscious change is something that only happens when we take the time to figure out what we want and then begin to make the choices that will make it a reality. In other words, it’s all about having a strategy.
Strategy is what takes your dream from a castle in the air to a bricks and mortar building on the ground. Strategy is what will separate you from all the other New Year, New Career’ers out there.
A goal is great, a strategy to make that goal happen is even better. A strategy based in your values is the gold standard.
A strategy isn’t a to-do list item like “get a new job this year”. An example of a strategy would start with “I want to feel fulfilled and inspired in my career this year.
If that’s how you want to feel, then the next step is to determine the actions you want to take to make that happen. You could:
– warm up your current network by scheduling 3 lunch meetings this month with former colleagues to talk about their career paths & progress
– have a meeting with your manager to talk about growth opportunities and stretch goals for the first two quarters of the year
– find and complete one career-oriented continuing education class this quarter
– schedule a 3-hour session the last weekend of each month to brainstorm and research the steps to take for the following month
– find an accountability partner or coach who can support you as I work toward my career change
– what action items are at the top of your list for this year? Spend some time brainstorming the specific steps you’d like to take in the next couple months.
A strategy has an overarching emotional goal, measurable components and room for you to fine-tune your direction as you gather more information.
When it comes to goals that center on big life items, like a career change, having a strategy is the difference between ending the year with success and or with the same old status-quo.
Our dream job or even our next promotion probably isn’t going to wander into our cubicle with an offer letter. It’s up to us to go out there, do the research, talk to the people and find the opportunities that will make us feel inspired and fulfilled in our work.
As you get ready to plan your career strategy for the new year, consider the following:
How do you want to feel?
What information are you missing?
Which people do you need in your network?
Which skills do you need to enhance?
What is getting in your way or holding you back?
Which step do you need to take first?
Answering those questions is the first step in creating a solid framework that will support the changes you want to make in the new year. Having a strategy will also help you to stay on track with your goals as other things happen in your life because you will always know what to do next.
Wishing you an amazing year!