5 key questions to guide your career

A recent “New Employer/Employee Equation” survey by Harris Interactive, Inc. conducted for Age Wave, looked extensively at the American workforce and found some dispiriting attitudes toward work:

* Only 45% of workers reported being satisfied or extremely satisfied with their jobs

* 42% reported dealing with burnout

* Only 20% indicated that they were “very passionate” about their work

* Only 31% believe their employer inspired the best in them

What does it take to be among the 45% who are satisfied, instead of the 42% who are exhausted and uninspired?

Most of the people I talk to would like to love their work, or at least be excited about it. Yet very few of us achieve that level of commitment. I believe it is possible, and that too often we lose sight of our career aspirations somewhere between paying the bills, mowing the lawn, and taking the kids to school. However, our desire for a pleasant and attractive job lurks below the surface, causing stress, anxiety and discomfort over time. You can reconnect with our professional priorities by shifting your focus away from the everyday details that captivate your attention and asking yourself ‘bigger’ questions about yourself. Here are 5 of my favorites:

1. How do I define success at this stage of my life?

Our careers continually evolve as we go through various stages of life. Many times, we are in careers or jobs that we select at a completely different stage of life. It probably met our needs at the time, but how about now? To what extent does the job you currently hold allow you to feel successful, given your personal definition of success? Where is it lined up? Where is it misaligned? Pay attention to friction points and write them down. Write your thoughts about what you consider a success for you, right now, at this stage.

2. What do I want to be known for?

Very often, this is a difficult question for clients to answer. They’ve never really thought about what they want to be known for, and they’ve ended up with a reputation for being someone they don’t really feel that good about. Therefore, they experience internal conflict at work.

A client I worked with wanted to be known as a strategic player, someone who is involved in setting the company’s long-term vision and implementing strategies to achieve it, but remained buried under mountains of tactical spam daily, paperwork. meetings to solve problems, put out ‘fires’, etc… She finally realized that if she remained reactive and tactical, she would never gain the reputation of being a strategist. It is simply incompatible. So what she needed to do was get out of the day-to-day crisis management role she had become known for and start chasing the long-term strategic challenges facing the company.

Don’t let your professional reputation choose you. What do you want to be known for in your professional life? Who do you want to be? What are you currently known for? They are the same? How can you begin to act in a way that honors who you want to be?

3. What are the five things about my current job/position that I want to continue to have in my life?

Even if you’re in a job you don’t like, there’s a reason you’re there. There is something there for you, or you would be gone. Take note of what is working where you are. Is it payment? The hours? The switch? The content of the work? The clients? Co-workers? The benefits? Consider each of the following five areas as you examine what’s working where you are:

* People: who you work with matters

* The type of work and the way the work is performed.

* The company itself: the products, the industry, the culture/climate, the reputation

* Lifestyle: reputation, pay and benefits, non-financial rewards, hours, location, travel, etc.

4. What are the five things about my current position/job that I never want to experience again?

Be clear about what you no longer want to experience. What causes you the most stress and disturbance? Write down at least 5 specific things that you will no longer accept from the job. Be willing to take action now to eliminate or address as many of these as possible.

5. What are the things I fantasize/dream about having in my job/position?

When you’ve really had it at work, what do you dream about? What is your fantasy escape plan? Our dreams can often give us important clues about what we are passionate about or what we need more of in our lives. What do your dreams tell you?

If you’re like most people, you’ll probably say “more money” or “more time.” Go deeper. What would you do with more money? Trip? Big house? Eliminate stressful debt? What would you do with more time? How would your life be better if you had more? Consider what really motivates you in your dreams…money or time are simply means to an end. Understand the purpose you are seeking. It will give you something to love as you reshape your career.

If you’ve honestly answered each of the five questions, you should have a pretty good idea of ​​what’s important to you. Your definition of success, your desired reputation, and at least 10 non-negotiables (things you must have in any job) along with a vision of what you really want in life. Use them as your guide whenever you are faced with professional decisions. Should you accept the new job? How does it fit with your definition of success? How well does it align with your ideal? Can you live with the places where it’s not?