Getting clarity on your career next steps

You know that you want to make a change or a gear shift in your career, but you are struggling to get of the starting blocks. Does this sound like you? It could be that you’ve not given yourself the time and the space to consider what you are aiming for.

This blogpost presents a set of coaching techniques that you can use to help you bring the future into clearer focus, and it guides you through ways to take the all important first step.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it” - Peter Drucker

You can only take steps towards something if you at least know part of what that something is. To start formulating this (or building on what you already know) I want you to visualise what you want your future career to look like.

Start with a time frame

Pick a timeframe that is right for you, but try to keep it within touching distance. 12 to 18 months is ideal, however it is also possible to apply this technique to longer term planning.

Take a moment to think about you at this end point. Where are you? What are you doing? Who is there with you? Try to capture as many details as you can to bring this future into focus.

Don’t worry if you don’t know all the details, focus on what you do know. You can always add to this later.

What steps did you take to get there?

Keeping that future vision front of mind, what was the step that you took immediately before achieving this end point? Focus on this, again taking note of all the details exactly as before. Once you have fleshed this out, repeat the process to move another step back. Continue this until you have created a set of steps that take you from the present to your future point.

Turning the vision into reality

So far we have taken a theoretical approach to the future planning, so now it’s time to turn it into something tangible using the Zoom Out, Zoom In technique. Looking at the notes you have taken so far, what are the really big tasks and milestones you need to hit. What are the time frames that they need to align with to get to where you want to be?

Now Zoom In and identify the smaller actions and tasks that need to take place within this, again slotting them into the timeframe.

Make it happen

Now bring your focus right in to the small actions and tasks you have attributed to the first part of your plan. Which tasks can, or should, you tackle first? When will you do them? Can any of them be actioned today?

If you are able to take small actions on a regular basis, you will be surprised how quickly this accumulates into something much bigger.

“Success is a journey not a destination” - Arthur Ashe

Whilst it is important to have an end point in mind to get started, don’t get caught up in the final outcome. Once you begin to take action towards your goal, your knowledge and understanding of what you want might change.

By being open to ideas, staying curious and willing to adapt you can continuously reshape the goal as you go, aligning it with you new aspirations.

Want to explore this further?

If you have enjoyed this process and would like to explore this further, get in touch to find out about the different ways we could work together.