Where have we all heard this term before? Hmmm…is it a movie… …is it a book title…oh no…is it your life? When I created The Get Real Guide to Your Career, I really wanted to appeal to people who needed some levity as they looked at their life and their career. I wanted to inspire people to want to do the work, and to open The Get Real Guide and go on a “career journey” with me. I know..I know…it’s tough sometimes. With that said, time is going to be passing anyway, so you might as well take the time to set up your life to do what you want to do, and be as planful as possible. Heck, next year at this time wouldn’t you rather have done some work and set yourself up for success, than be complaining and cranky and blaming the world for your not being what you wanted to be when you grew up? Nope, being cranky isn’t a good idea. So, let’s get planning.
We have all made some really good decisions, and, on the flip side, we have made some not-so-good decisions. No matter what, all of these decisions have accumulated, and we are now at a place in our life where we wouldn’t be, without those decisions. I know…DUH…well, of course, that is true. As you continue to plan for your next career move, it is a good idea to reflect on your past career choices and continue to get clear about what you don’t want to do.
In my last blog, “I’ve Got a New Aptitude,” I discussed the importance of understanding what skills you would like to use and, just as important, what skills you do not want to use. This next exercise is set on the same premise. Let’s see what the heck I am talking about.
Think about your past work experiences. What factors led each of those experiences to be either a great experience, or one you would not want to repeat? Describe as fully as possible those factors that made your work situations especially exciting or rewarding (The Good), those that made them boring or frustrating (The Bad) and those factors that you want to avoid at all costs (The Ugly). Write a list of at least 5 Good, 5 Bad and 5 Ugly. Be as specific and honest as possible. Take a look at them and I bet you will laugh thinking about those Ugly ones. We all have them, and once they are behind us, we can say, “What was I thinking?” What is more important is that you don’t repeat those Ugly work situations. Once you have them down on paper and can see them with your very own eyes, you know you will say “nope…not me…ya can’t make me do that again.”
Now…take a look at those Good work situations. What was it about them that got them listed in the Good column? My guess, they were work environments that were aligned to the skills you want to use, your natural talents and your values. Take a minute and check back on your work. Everything I am talking about and all the work you are doing is building your foundation and helping you get clearer about who you are today, and who you want to be tomorrow. As we keep moving through The Get Real Guide to Your Career you will see how each exercise is a piece of the pie. The more work you do, the bigger the piece of pie. And, who doesn’t like pie???
Thanks for coming along on your career adventure with me. Whatever you do…Don’t Stop Believing!!!
Till the next time…
