Your Career Campaign: How Will You Navigate the Journey in 2010?

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January 28, 2011


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I recently dusted off some of my old books and rediscovered one of my favorite poems, “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters,” from Portia Nelson’s book, There is a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery. It creates an analogy between life, change and making choices that affect our life outcomes.

Here it is:
Chapter One
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost …I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend that I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in this same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter Three
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in…it’s a habit…but,
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault
I get out immediately.
Chapter Four
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter Five
I walk down another street.

I think there is a great tie-in with career transition and life management overall as we step into the new year–and decade! Rather than first looking forward, how about thinking backward to where we’ve been?
Some questions to ponder looking back on 2009:

  • What have you achieved?
  • What did you want to achieve that didn’t happen?
  • What are you grateful for?
  • What obstacles (or places of possibility) did you face? How did you move past them?
  • What have you learned in 2009?

These questions apply to your life, relationships, personal growth and career! Contemplating the answers will help you move forward.
Now, imagine your life one year out. Take time and visualize what a successful year looks like. The more defined the picture, the more likely your dreams will become reality.

  • Where do you want to be in 30 days? 60? 90? 365?

  • What would you like to accomplish that you have not? Training? More connections?
  • Enhanced resume and marketing materials? Brushed up interviewing skills?
  • Building an online presence?
  • What do you want to be able to say about your life?
  • What would make you proud?
  • What would make you excited?

  • You might consider making a career vision board. Vision boards are well known in association with the Law of Attraction, and are often used to jumpstart action toward life goals. You can use electronic Vision Board software or simply paper, scissors, magazines and glue!

  • Create a collage of your perfect job. Include pictures of where you’d like to work. Write a description of your perfect job. Include how much money you’d like to make. List the awards and accolades you’d like to earn. Use your Vision Board to help you visualize and focus on what it is you truly want from your next career move. Stay focused, clear and intent on what you want from life in 2010. When you do this, you begin to forget the fear (False Expectations Appearing Real) that might have prevented you from getting there in 2009 or prior.

Write down your goals. If you can, use SMART goals to hone as closely as possible on what you want to achieve; and give yourself a deadline to get there:

  • Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely

  • Envisioning and recording goals keeps “dreams” from fading. Journal, revisit and track action and connections.

By analyzing where you’ve been and envisioning where you’d like to go, you can make conscious choices that lead to positive change in your career and your life overall. Whether it’s trying new strategies, meeting new contacts, learning new skills, or reframing how you fit into today’s world of work, shifting your direction could make 2010 the year when you walk down another path!
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
~ Albert Einstein
I wish you a prosperous, healthy and peace-filled 2010!
As President of Hire Imaging, LLC, Barb Poole has over 25 years’ experience as a career coach, strategist and writer. She partners with global clients in all industries and levels to explore, find, get and keep their career dreams.

Originally posted by Candice A

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