Need a New Career? 10 Questions to help you

February 8, 2012 asparker

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Are you searching for a way to do meaningful work? Do you need a more meaningful career? If you need a new career one way to start is by creating a vision of your life and career. By having a clear picture of what you want, it will be easier to find the steps to get there. It is worth spending time visualizing your new career so that you can see more clearly what you need to do. I often do visioning with my clients by asking them to close their eyes and see themselves in their ideal workplace, home and community. If visualizing is difficult for you these 10 questions provide another process to find your vision.

What is most important to you? If you have not defined your values yet, you may still request the TruValues assessment by sending me an email (asparker@asparker.com) or just think about what is most important to you. You will want your vision to be aligned with your values so your life is focused on what is most important to you.
What are the different roles that you have in your life (Mother, son, brother, manager etc.)? What changes do you want to bring to these roles? How can you make these roles more satisfying? Include these roles in your vision so you can see how your work and family life fit together.
Where would you like to be in three years? Five years? Ten years? Twenty years? What changes in your life do you anticipate over the next 20 + years? How do you see your life evolving? If you’ve never thought about this before, now is a good time to start. It will give you a picture of what you are aiming for. Notice I said “life” not just “career”. Your career is only part of your life. Where does it fit in?
If you only had one year to live, how would you want to live it? This is another question to help you see what is most important to you. Whether you want to complete something you are working on, travel the world, or relax and enjoy your family the answer to this question will let you see what matters most.
What would you do if there were no risk to doing it? This is a great way to see what you really want to do. Your vision is your dream. You don’t need to know how you will accomplish it. You just must keep the dream in your mind as you make choices. The way to get to the dream will come later.
What theme consistently runs through your life? This is an important one. You may be known for something in your family. Maybe something comes so easily to you that you do it for everyone. There may be something you have done consistently over time in your work and in your leisure starting when you were young. These themes are often hidden unless you think about it. It may take some time to uncover the themes. If the theme is something you like, your vision will include the theme in some way.
What kind of work exhilarates you? Your vision will include the kind of work that gives you pleasure-that energizes you. As you work on your vision look for examples of work that exhilarated you in the past.
What would you like your legacy to be? Your vision needs to be big enough to be challenging to you and memorable to others. It also needs to be so attractive to you that it energizes you every day to make progress on it.
What do you wish were different in your life today? What would your perfect life look like? If you know what a perfect life would look like, you have your vision. Start with the changes you would make today and then ask yourself if with this change life would be perfect.
What gifts do you have that you are not currently using that you would like to use? Not only do you want your vision to be aligned with your values but you will want to be using the gifts you have that you enjoy.

Bonus Offer for Newsletter and Blog Readers

Would you like to try a visualization exercise with me? I use a meditation like visualization in my coaching sessions that most find very helpful. Join me at 12 noon Eastern Time on Wednesday February 15, 2012for a 45 minute session on my conference telephone line. We’ll do the visualization and then share our thoughts on the process. Please email me at asparker@asparker.com to let me know if you would like to participate. I’ll send you an email with the telephone number to use for the call.