10 Steps to Help You Decide What’s Next
I have talked to countless people over the past year who are trying to figure out what they want to do next in their careers. Mid-career managers and executives have told me that they don’t have time to think or even reflect on what they want to do next. They are so overwhelmed and “busy” that they have a fleeting thought about this, but just keep moving. Some are not even sure if they like their current jobs and others are wondering if life as an entrepreneur would be more rewarding.
What most are thinking about is that they need to get comfortable with what’s next, even if that means staying on the current career path. Making a move takes work, and is a personal decision, so proceed deliberately and develop a plan that reflects what you know is next for you.
Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.
Wilfred Peterson
The exercises and suggestions below will help you to evaluate what you want to do next.
1. Be honest about your level of satisfaction with your position. Describe how satisfied you are in your own words.
2. Evaluate the pros and cons of your current situation.
What does the position offer that benefits you, or fulfills a need? What’s missing?
3. List the things that give you energy in your current role, and the things that exhaust you.
Reflect on the things you want to maintain as well as any changes you could make to improve your situation.
4. If you know you need to get out of your current situation, think about the excuses that you have been making and what you keep telling yourself. What would it take for you to get rid of these excuses?
5. What would you lose if you left? What fears do you have? What feelings come to mind when you think of exiting your current situation? What feelings come to mind when you think of staying for another 5 years?
You will be able to determine after answering these questions whether or not your job quotient is acceptable or unacceptable. You can then begin to take the next steps, whether these are internal or external.
6. Evaluate your risk tolerance
What would you be willing to give up to get what you want? Are you willing to take huge risks to get it? Is your tolerance for risk more balanced and dependent on situations? Do you prefer a lower level of risk? Once you are sure, you can then decide how much change you are willing to make, and get
comfortable with it. There is nothing wrong with taking a conservative approach, or conversely, making a big leap.
7. Recall the dream you had when you were young of what you would do with your life, and how that dream has changed. Decide if this is still your dream for yourself or if you have a new one. Write it down so that you can visually see it and own it.
If you want to add something to your life that you have always wanted to do, there are many ways to accomplish that. The first step is to decide that you will.
If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion.
8. What are your true passions? What are you longing to do?
Your passion is that thing that makes you lose track of time when you are doing it. You are energized when you are engaged in it and gain a high level of personal satisfaction from it. Excitement, enthusiasm, delight, positive vibes and even zeal are words and phrases that come to mind when you are engaged in the thing that is your passion.
You can get some clues by doing a visualization exercise: Think of a time when you felt like you were on top of the world at work, when you felt invincible and you were deliriously happy. What were you doing? What made you happy?
9. An exercise that I developed and one that I use in my coaching is called “Your Inside Zone”. It is great for getting in touch with the real issue(s) we are trying to solve. Try it.
- Draw a graphic that has you in the center circle. Then draw 6 lines out from the center circle, each with a circle at the end.
- Write your “6 most important things” in each of the circles. Instead of one word responses such as “Family”, describe what’s important about this such as “Spending quality time with my family.” Then rate your level of satisfaction with each one using a scale of 1 – 10.
- Focus on the important things with lower scores and decide if any of these are impacting your feelings about whether you are in the right place, or if these are the actual reasons you are considering change. Our dissatisfaction in one area of our lives could be driving stress, anxiety, or uncertainty in other areas of our lives. This exercise helps get to the root cause.
- Reflect on what you are willing to do to raise the level of satisfaction if appropriate. Recognizing that you cannot change other people, concentrate on what you can control.
- If all areas meet your level of satisfaction, your thoughts about job fulfillment are not related to the most important things in your life.
10. Network regularly and remain current.
Every industry has different ways of bringing people together, either to network socially or to introduce changes that may be happening. There are also many forums for making new contacts across industries. Stay in contact with people in your circle, and make new contacts at social events, external meetings, trade shows, business conclaves in your field and training workshops. Make a point to attend at least two external events per year.
This may sound a bit cliché, but it is the one thing that many busy leaders forget to do. When a major change happens in our lives, we are then forced to scramble and try to reconnect with people who can help us. Keeping the lines of communication open and attending events will help you remain relevant and top of mind. You will be able to build a network of supporters, especially if you have offered your assistance or resources to them in the past.
A final word: Living with regret later in life about all the things you wish you had done earlier is not something to look forward to. The power to make decisions about your own life is yours, and the time is now.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away
from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain