How To Create A Vision For Your Career
By Deborah Brown-Volkman
All of life's journeys begin with the phrase, "I want."
Think about your career and the times when you said "I want." Maybe
you said "I want" go to college-and then enrolled in school and
completed your degree. Maybe you said "I want" to work for a large
or a small company-and you are working there now. Maybe you said "I
want" to lead teams-and that's one of your current
responsibilities. "I want" is a very powerful phrase. Without it,
it's hard to go very far.
Imagine going on a trip without selecting a destination beforehand.
What would you pack? How would you get there? Where would you stay?
Your trip probably would not end up being much fun.
It's the same with your career. Not being able to visualize your
desired result leads to results not happening. Goals are reached
when you decide what you want, and then take action to get it.
Without an end in mind, you will wander aimlessly; and as long as
you are aimless, you will be wasting time. You will feel lost. You
will be like a stray leaf, going wherever the wind takes you.
WHAT'S A VISION?
My definition of a vision is a visualization or a picture of where
you see yourself in the future. Your picture can be one of where
you want to be in a day, a week, a month, a year, or even farther
into the future. The visualization of your goal is what compels you
to move forward. A vision is a snapshot of what you want your
career and life to look like in the future. This snapshot gives
your journey a clear and reachable destination and provides
focus.
All goals are reached in the mind first. You see yourself both
achieving that goal and experiencing the satisfaction it will bring
you once you are there. This picture is what will help you to
persevere during times of doubt. Your picture of success will give
you purpose, power, and excitement. Your picture will give you a
reason to get out of bed every day.
HOW DO YOU CREATE A
VISION?
Close your eyes. Let your imagination take over. Get in touch with
what you really want and what is important to you. Ask yourself
meaningful questions. Let the answers come to you.
WHAT QUESTIONS WILL HELP GET YOU TO A VISION
QUICKLY?
Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
* If it was possible, what would be different in my career?
* What type of job would I have?
* What would I be responsible for?
* What type of boss/co-workers/team would I have?
* What kind of hours would I work?
* What type of company would I work for?
* What sort of culture would the company have?
* What city would I live in?
* How much money would I make?
* How would I handle stress, my workload, and deadlines?
Once you have thought about these questions, it is time to get your
answers down on paper. There are no right or wrong answers to these
questions. The answers are what is true for you-not what someone
else wants for you, but what is truly in your heart. Listen to
yourself, and your answers will be the perfect ones for you.
Once you have your vision, then it's time to make it real.
