Quick Career Coach, step 1: Your Life Plan

| More

I am the only Career Invention Coach in South Africa certified with master coaches, trainers and authors Pam Slim and Michele Woodward. This blog series outlines my approach to career coaching and gives self-helpers ideas for how to use their innate talents and life experiences to do great things at work.

Being unhappy with how you earn a living can really suck the energy out of your life, as anyone who’s ever experienced it (including me) can attest. The effects can range from niggling doubts and mild dissatisfaction to the full-on destruction of your health and spirit.

Regardless of where you are now, the launching off point for a new career plan is ... a Life Plan. The reason is simple: your life should always come first. Your career should fit into your life, not the other way around.

A life plan will help you identify what matters most and what you’d like to achieve personally and professionally. Once you know this, you’ll be able to make decisions about your career that won’t compromise your overall priorites and values.

To get the most out of this, let down your defenses – use your imagination and really dig deep into yourself for insight and answers. Go with what feels good and right in your gut, not what you think you should do, or what someone else thinks. This is YOUR life plan, not anyone else’s.

Don’t worry about being perfect - just get your thoughts down. Think of this as your first draft, and know you can change it as you and your circumstances evolve.

(Note: This is a summary of the full quesionnaire I use with clients - for more detail or to do this with me rather than on your own, contact me.)

Imagine your ideal life
You’ll be writing, so either grab some paper or open a fresh document. Try and do it when you have time to think and minimal distractions. Ideally, write in the present tense (e.g. “I live in a cabin overlooking a mountain lake,” or “I am the head of a thriving small-business consulting firm.”)

Home
> Where do you live? What does it look and feel like? Describe your surroundings.

Self
> How’s your health? How do you take care of yourself? What do you do for fun?

Relationships with others
>  Describe your relationships with your partner, family, friends, pets, colleagues, and other important creatures in your life.

Work style
> Do you work alone or with other people? From home or elsewhere? Is your time structured or flexible? How much time do you spend working?

Nature of your work
> What do you do?  Why do you love it?

Finances
> How much do you earn? What are your financial priorities?

Other
> Describe here any other priorities not covered above.

When you’re finished, put the document in a safe place and pat yourself on the back. Really revel in the positive life you’ve imagined - this will be like the beacon toward which you’ll navigate over the course of this program.