Can you answer this question? Not what you want for dinner, what color looks better, or what time it is? What is something that touches your heart and inspires you? As I work with clients that are looking for work or a career change, many will say that they will do anything if the pay is good. That seems like a good idea on paper, but that does not translate into pure happiness. Many people make a ton of money and cry themselves to sleep at night. Some people do not know what makes them happy or brings them joy.
Life is too short to spend eight hours a day somewhere that makes you miserable. Now there are times when you need to put food on the table and pay the bills. But what about the long term? Do you have a plan in place to get you where you’d like to be? The thought of having a long term plan can be overwhelming, so here are some ways to get you headed in the right direction.
What makes you mad? There has to be something in the world that frustrates you. You read about it or experience it, and you think that there has to be a better way. It is not acceptable to you. Many say that that iPod was a way to make downloading music legal or that S’well reusable water bottles came to fruition because no one wants to carry an ugly water bottle into a business meeting. Fix it. Make it better. Make it acceptable in your world, and you might change the world for the better.
Who inspires you? Your family. Your friends. Your kids. Your community. It will be a different answer for everyone. Just thinking about it makes you want to do better. I follow the Instagram page of a non-profit called Rancho Relaxo, and the owner rescues animals that are missing limbs or have a health issue that needs more attention. She is in tears regularly because some don’t make it, or she can’t rescue all of them. She continues because it is her purpose in this world to educate and save animals. Tears aren’t always a bad thing. They drive people to make a change.
Why are you here? I don’t believe that we were just put on this world to exist. We all need to have a purpose in this world. When I work with veterans, most of my work is helping them find a purpose as a civilian. I firmly believe that when you don’t have a purpose, you are susceptible to the opinions and judgments of others. The others (yes, like the movie) can be a dangerous place to find your self-worth. One of the best things I did a year ago was refraining from dating so I could take some time to focus on me. It forces you to do your work and be more self-aware. You can’t know your worth if you can’t enjoy your own company. A colleague of mine said, “She might as well be herself because everyone else is taken.”
Where do you want to be? Think big!! If you love something in this world, figure out a way to merge your personal and professional desires. Be specific about where and how it needs to be for you. You love animals, and you want to do accounting for the humane society. You can’t play music, but you love the sound of it, so you are an HR person for the symphony. You love candles, so you try to be the administrative assistant for a production company that makes them so you can smell them all day.
When you want it? I tend to stumble in this area at times. Time is a critical part of your goal planning because you will move into someday, and that is not the point. Of course, you will want to be realistic as well, but having a two or five-year plan is a good thing.
What. Who. Why. Where. When. It seems simple right, but there are many layers once you start this process. Get a journal from the store and write it down. You might be surprised to find out that the path you are on today will not get you where you want to be, so changing it up is your assignment from me.
