How to Figure Out What Comes Next For Your Career?
Two Januaries ago I walked into my office after a long winter break filled with dread that I would waste another year in a job I didn’t like. I very clearly remember sitting at my desk that month scanning job posting after posting hoping that one would spark something within me. They didn’t. So I stopped looking. The month came and went without answering “what do I want to do next?”
There was no doubt about it. I was stuck. Stuck in a job that I desperately wanted to leave. Having changed jobs before, I knew something needed to be different this time or else I would likely end up feeling unfulfilled, unhappy and unmotivated again. The trouble was that I didn’t know what needed to be different and figuring it out felt really hard. So instead I let myself stay trapped and developed a whole list of excuses for why I was staying put.
Maybe you know what I’m talking about. Maybe you are stuck right now in a job you don’t care for. Maybe you’re desperate to get out. Maybe you know that if you could just uncover what you really want to be doing, you’d be able to make it happen.
Here’s the thing. The answer you’re looking for is never going to appear if you don’t start looking for it. And I can guarantee it won’t come to you through a job board.
It took me more than 8 months to figure out what came next for my career. It took me that long because I allowed my excuses to become my truths and because I didn’t know how to ask for help. It could have taken even longer, but three things happened that pushed me toward starting my own coaching practice.
I started mentoring associates in my office and realized I loved it.
A dear friend gave me two coaching referrals.
My now husband used his wedding vows to tell me that he would support me making a transition.
These events gave me the courage to come face to face with the professional identity I had set for myself and realize it was time to change it. As a result, I started asking myself the hard questions. Even more importantly I listened to the answers. And because I did, I found what came next.
If you’re ready to get unstuck, then it’s time to start dedicating your energy to it. I want you to stop looking at job postings hoping you’ll find the answer you are seeking, and start looking within. Looking within is a process of questioning, exploring long held beliefs, wishes and fears and asking if they are still relevant, and if not what’s relevant now.
It’s gonna be hard and it’s definitely going to be uncomfortable. But it’s the only way to truly free yourself and find a job you actually like.