Welcome to the second half of 2010. How are you doing with those changes you wanted to make in 2010? Are you on track?
Or have you forgotten some of those dreams?
Or decided it was all just too hard to figure out?
Or is there a small voice in your head telling you it’s just too scary to do something you’ve never done before?
YET … maybe … sometimes you wonder about “what if ..”
Here is a technique to play with to look at your career and your life, and to set some goals to get what you want by New Year’s 2011 and beyond!
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With paper and pencil look back over the last six months and ask yourself these questions:
- What happened that I never want to happen again?
- What did I learn from those happenings that can support me in making different decisions in the future?
- What did I enjoy about my life?
- What were my major accomplishments?
- For whom and what am I grateful?
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What can I appreciate about myself?
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Print out the Life Balance Wheel below and plot your current level of fulfillment and happiness (however you define it in each area of your life. The center point represents “0″, that you are not satisfied at all. The outer point represents “10″ which means you couldn’t be happier, more pleased or fulfilled. If there is a particular characteristic that is not important to you, go ahead and plot the point at “10″. After plotting all the points, draw a line to connect them.
By connecting the dots, you now have a visual representation of what your life looks like. If you life is in balance, the dots will form a circle indicating a smooth ride through life. Take a look at your diagram and see what shape you made when you connected the dots. Do you have a smooth ride, or are there potholes and bumps in some areas? Whatever it looks like, please remember to be kind to yourself and do not judge it or yourself. It isn’t good or bad – it just “is what it is”. By gently accepting where you are in your life, you now have the opportunity to make some changes!
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Notice which aspects of your life have the biggest gaps between where you are and where you want to be. Choose to focus on up to three of those aspects and make a heartfelt commitment to do what it takes to create what you want.
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Focus on each aspect one at a time and ask yourself:
- What do I want this area of my life to look like?
- What would have to be different in this area for me to create the happiness I am looking for?
- What stands in the way of my getting what I want? (a situation, another person, myself, etc.)
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If I had magical powers and could transform this area overnight this is what I would see …
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After you have identified what you want, set a goal to create it. And remind yourself how you will feel when you begin moving toward achieving this goal.
- Begin taking small steps toward your goal. Appreciate yourself all along the path, have fun and celebrate each step of your progress. By taking these steps you are on your way to creating the career and life you would most like to have.
I’m celebrating and doing a happy dance for the Dynamic Powerful Creative You!
Are you looking for a career coach or need a career counselor?
While there are overlaps between career coaching and career counseling, I want to mention that there are definite differences.
A career counselor is someone who usually is licensed and has a Masters Degree in counseling or psychology. Counselors are often designated as a LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor). Your medical or mental health insurance benefits may pay for some or all of the costs of a career counselor.
A career counselor usually has advanced training in aptitude or psychometric assessments and may use them in the career counseling process.
However, in career counseling and counseling in general, there is an assumption that someone (the counselor) is an expert and has expertise and advice to offer. The process can be more direct in that the career counselor would gather information about an individual’s skills, aptitudes, personality style, likes/dislikes etc. and then direct them to a career that the career counselor thinks will satisfy them. A career counselor would be more likely to have a list of careers and to resources where an individual could get more information for different professions.
A career coach can have a varied background in terms of education and degrees held. Many do have advanced degrees, which may not be related to coaching, careers or counseling. Usually a coach would have completed coach training in a program that is certified by the International Coach Federation. The International Coach Federation “defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” (From website http://www.coachfederation.org/)
A career coach comes from the perspective that you are the expert in your life and it is the job of the career coach to support you to grow, develop and make powerful choices for yourself, including career choices. So, in the career coaching model it would likely be more about self-discovery, finding what career will really light you up, have you excited to go to work each day. Your career coach would work with you to make sure you put together a plan that will have you investigating different career choices and pursuing them so that you can come to your own answers. The idea and the key distinction is that if the client comes to the answers on their own, it is potentially more powerful than if they are told by the career counselor a recommendation or prescribed course.
Regardless of whether you decide you need a career coach or a career counselor, the most important factor is whether you feel chemistry and trust this person to support you through this very important time of your life. You may want to interview a career coach and a career counselor. I would recommend interviewing several of each.
Tell them about your situation, a bit about yourself, and maybe what you are looking to achieve from a coach or a counselor. At the end of the call think about how you felt after speaking with this person. Do you have confidence that this person can empower you to maximize your professional potential? Speaking with several coaches or counselors will take some time, but can be so valuable if you find the right professional to guide you to making the best career choices for you.
