Life Career
What is your 'Life Career'?
We frequently talk about maintaining a balance between work and personal life as if there is a distinction maintaining responsibility and attaining personal satisfaction. When searching for a new job or seeking recognition in the current job, employment is frequently treated as a financial responsibility. Personal goals are typically reserved for weekends, vacations or a few hours in the evening.
The perceived value of separation between work and personal life is the objective to maintain a balance, as if these aspects of our being can be compartmentalized with private and segregated emotional barriers. Despite our best efforts, there are demands in both the personal and public aspects of our lives that require sacrifice, generate reward, and impact our emotional responses in all aspects of our lives.
Step One - Define your personal goals. Think about those achievements in your personal past accomplishments that have given you the greatest satisfaction and recognize how you contributed to those milestones. What do you want for your future?
Step Two - Define your personal talents, skills and knowledge that are aligned with your personal goals. These elements should be evident in the reflection of your personal past accomplishments.
Step Three - Make a list of milestones that must be achieved to accomplish your personal goals.
Step Four - Make a list of individuals in your life who can contribute to achieving your goals. These can be people with knowledge, experience, talents or connections that support your direction. Your list may include people close to you, people at your work, outside recruiters or subject matter experts, it all depends on your personal goals. At the same time, make a list of the people that you can help in achieving their goals and get started by giving the type of support that you would like to receive.
Step Five - Keep your list of personal goals, milestones and connections close to you. Reflect on it and be prepared to update it from time to time. When you are offered or create opportunities in your work career, if you are challenged to make sacrifices in personal or professional capacity, or if you are seeking alternative employment - compare your options to your Life Career.
Like your professional career, there will be set-backs and there will be accomplishments. Establish your personal and professional direction like a compass toward the north star, adjusting to the winds and the weather. As you make progress, the segregation between your personal and professional activities will begin to fade. You will not need to sacrifice one for the other, but rather make investments of time and effort that support your relationships and your commitments to your "Life Career".
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Words of Wisdom
"In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to
performing daily trivia until we ultimately become enslaved by it."
- Robert Heinlen
"The reason most people never achieve their goals is that they
don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or
achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they
plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with
them."
- Denis Watley.
"The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals
and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you
parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or
boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams."
- Og Mandino
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About the Author:
John Mehrmann is a freelance writer and President of
Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving
business practices and developing human capital.
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