Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to receive my Career Path Counseling training from Career Master, Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute (now in its 40th edition).
While the job hunt has changed significantly over the years with technology, Bolles' methods for developing a career path have remained timeless and continues to offer the most successful guidance to identifying the best possible career or work direction of any (and there are hundreds).
Today, I am using the same methods to make my own career transition and to help others - there is simply no substitute for taking a soul searching inventory of who we are inside - what's important to us at our core (our true values and preferences) - and what resonates with us in each area of our lives.
A goal is something you want to achieve or accomplish like traveling to another country, or learning a new skill like snowboarding, deep sea diving or taking an art class in a specific medium.
Some of your goals may be personal like making X number of friends who share your interests in the next year, getting along with your parents better or becoming a better sibling.
Some goals may be educational like making a decision about where to go to college, taking an AP class to help you get to the college of your dreams, or deciding on a college major that best suits you.
Yes, it can also be about work or career.
However, your life is about you and therefore does not necessarily revolve around school or work.
Your goals can be anything you choose them to be including HAVING FUN.
Here is an exercise that is quick and easy to help you get started.
It is a first step.
· Take a piece of paper and place it horizontally and fold it into three equal sections · At the top of the first section write "What I hope to do in my life" · At the top of the second section write "Things I hope to do in the next three to five years.
" · At the top of the last section write" Things I want or need to do in the next six months.
" · Set a timer, or have someone you know set a timer, and pick any column to write your answers in TWO MINUTES.
It doesn't matter which column you choose.
Set it again for another two minutes for the next column and the same for the last column.
· Make sure that your answers are free-flowing and the first thing that comes to mind Why only two minutes per question? In two minutes you will find that the most important answers - those that you value - will appear unedited (without forethought as to what you "should" put down).
When I first did this exercise, there was a fourth column entitled "What I should do in the next six months.
" After the exercise was completed we all reviewed our lists and the SHOULD column always had a negative feel to it.
So we were told to put a big X through it and disregard it.
But when I looked at that "Should" column, I realized that I had been running much of my life this way instead of recognizing what is really important to me and focusing on those things.
Just know that what you write down, while not set in stone, are things that are truly representative of the real you now.
Over time, you will want to revisit this exercise.