Last time, I wrote to you I shared that I was listening to a call between one of our Career Strategists and an executive. He had multiple ideas on what he should do next, needed his resume updated, and had no concrete plan for deciding what was the right next move for him or how to get started. Pretty standard stuff for the strategist.
He needed help identifying what he wanted his Next Great Next to be.
The path toward finding what will be next for him began with making (and keeping) an appointment with our strategist. For him it was a milestone. He was taking the first step by talking with her and asking for help.
As the ancient Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
But all first steps aren’t always the same for everyone. For some it’s coming to terms with being let go or with the fact that you are still employed but are no longer energized by what you do.
Others need to ask themselves “Do I still want to do this for another 10-20 years?” Coming up with that answer may be their first step.
Some need to do an assessment of their work in terms of how it fits into their life now and with what they want for themselves at this stage.
There are some who will find they are no longer really making a difference where they are and simply need a change.
Whatever you need to do to get started, whatever your first step looks like… take it! Decide what your first step needs to be and get impetus by taking it. You will feel energized by possibilities and excited for what could be.
Sadly, so many executives just can’t bring themselves to take that initial step and simply get started. No matter what goal you’re trying to reach, it’s often true that simply getting started is the hardest part. This is certainly true when it comes to making a career change. It’s easier to bury yourself in all that you have to do for your current job and your personal life than getting started on pursuing your Next Great Next. But if you have ever found yourself saying something like “I really need to start looking,” then you are who I’m talking to right now.
Most people do better with someone who will hold them accountable and who knows the career industry so they can provide actionable steps. That’s where we can be of assistance. But no matter how you do it, take step one toward career happiness today!
