I’ll go ahead and spit it out right now… I HATE New Year’s Resolutions! I always have. Even as a kid, I thought they were silly. I’ve always believed (and also known) that the likelihood of success is about 0%. So year after year after year I sit at the NYE dinner table and listen with venomous contempt as my friends and family make their profound intentional declarations for the upcoming year. Maybe it does work for them, but it’s never worked for me. Like most everyone else, by February 1st, I’ve forgotten what my resolutions were.
Enough venting; I’m now climbing off of my soapbox…
Here’s what I do know, however -- Having a vision of where you’re going increases the chances of you achieving your goals. I’ve said it over and over again: Knowing the “What” helps us figure out the “How!” So maybe there is something to the New Year’s Resolution shenanigans?
I have a young, very successful friend who keeps his New Year’s intentions (both personal and professional) taped to his bedroom mirror. This strategy works for him and allows him to continually and casually revisit his annual goals. He does not share these with anyone (other than those lucky few who get to visit the inner sanctum of his bedroom), and he has a better sense of where he’s going than anyone else I know.
So maybe they do work? Let's throw out those prior misconceptions and try something new this year.
Here’s the challenge I’m giving myself and I’ll also give you, Gentle Reader:
What’s ONE thing you want to accomplish in 2007?
There it is… Simple. Clean. Achievable. I like it. It's only one thing, and there's no reason why it cannot be accomplished, right?
So, here goes...
For me, it will be launching my new website and virtual learning community for federal employees by July 1, 2007!
Wow! I can't believe I came out and made that public declaration! But the cat's outta da bag, and I guess I now have an obligation to keep you updated!
What’s yours going to be? Post a comment below and let us know what it is. And we’ll keep tabs on you, if you’d like! Or not!
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Saturday, December 9, 2006
The Career Vision, aka Packing for the Trip
How much sense would it make if you starting packing for your vacation without ANY idea of your destination? Imagine a suitcase full of swimwear for a ski trip? Or your best “Sex and the City” Gotham City finery for a trip to the West Virginia cabin (yup, got me one of them last week, but more on that later)? In reality, this problem rarely confronts any of us, and most adults I know are pretty adept at successfully packing their bags for their trips away from home. But I offer you this metaphor as a lesson for your own career-management strategies.
I often get the call from the panicked, potential job switcher saying “I’ve heard from a friend (or a recruiter) that there’s this excellent position in the such-and-such department over at blank. Can you, Coach Jeff, please help me prepare for my interview?”
“Whoa Nelly!!” says Coach Jeff, “Since when did such-and-such department over at blank ever factor into your vision of your career?” And our discussion begins…
Having a longer-term vision of your career, and where it’s headed, is like knowing where you’re going on vacation when you’re packing your suitcase. For example, if you know without a doubt, that your next career step is to get supervisory experience, then why would you ever consider taking on another individual contributor position? That’s like packing your snorkel for a trip to Aspen!
With a crystal-clear vision of both the longer-term and immediate career goals, you have an easy litmus test to know if even going for an interview is worthwhile. And you can seriously prevent those dreaded career mis-steps. Always testing the immediate opportunities against the vision of where you’re headed can significantly reduce the amount of anxiety and stress in managing your career.
Now, some of you are saying, “easier said than done,” so we’ll be talking for a while in this medium about having a vision for your career.
For me, always knowing what's next for Northward Leadership and my own career prevents me from taking on work that does not support my vision. And with that, I’m off to go build a fire in my new fireplace, while wearing the comfy slippers I remembered to pack before I left the city yesterday!
I often get the call from the panicked, potential job switcher saying “I’ve heard from a friend (or a recruiter) that there’s this excellent position in the such-and-such department over at blank. Can you, Coach Jeff, please help me prepare for my interview?”
“Whoa Nelly!!” says Coach Jeff, “Since when did such-and-such department over at blank ever factor into your vision of your career?” And our discussion begins…
Having a longer-term vision of your career, and where it’s headed, is like knowing where you’re going on vacation when you’re packing your suitcase. For example, if you know without a doubt, that your next career step is to get supervisory experience, then why would you ever consider taking on another individual contributor position? That’s like packing your snorkel for a trip to Aspen!
With a crystal-clear vision of both the longer-term and immediate career goals, you have an easy litmus test to know if even going for an interview is worthwhile. And you can seriously prevent those dreaded career mis-steps. Always testing the immediate opportunities against the vision of where you’re headed can significantly reduce the amount of anxiety and stress in managing your career.
Now, some of you are saying, “easier said than done,” so we’ll be talking for a while in this medium about having a vision for your career.
For me, always knowing what's next for Northward Leadership and my own career prevents me from taking on work that does not support my vision. And with that, I’m off to go build a fire in my new fireplace, while wearing the comfy slippers I remembered to pack before I left the city yesterday!
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