Managing Your Career: Where to Start

Managing your career.

It can be hard to know where to start.

Many leaders I’ve worked with tell me it’s something they know they should do. But life is so busy, it feels like one more chore to add to an already lengthy to-do list.

It doesn’t need to be.

If this has been on your mental to-do list for awhile, this post will give you what you need to break the inertia and take a few steps forward. Build a little momentum. And start you moving towards your next success.

Find the time:

Carve out a little time every week. 30-60 distraction-free minutes. If you can’t do it weekly, bi-weekly or monthly works too. Spending a little time each week is all you need to keep progressing and moving forward.

FigurE out what you want:

Some people know exactly what they want. The other 99% of us need a little time to figure it out.

Below is a series of questions to get you started. If you struggle to answer the questions, don’t worry. Over the coming weeks, you’ll begin to notice things you hadn’t before. Each week, skim through this exercise, updating a little here and there. In a few weeks, your goals will begin to form. In a few months, you'll know exactly what you want.

There’s nothing magic about these questions, so skip the ones you don’t like, add in ones you do, adapt as you go. Make this list your own.

What would I like to do more of at work? Less of? Get granular. Tasks, activities, meetings, break down projects…..
What kind of people would I like to work for? Work with? Lead?
What companies am I curious about? What industries?
What are my goals? Long term / Mid-range / short term?
Meaning: At it's best, work offers us the chance to be part of something bigger, something meaningful to us. It could be joining a start-up, being on the leading edge of AI, saving the planet, building a better widget, being part of a kick ass technical team…. ….….. The options are almost infinite. Jot down anything that offers this level of meaning for you.

If you’re stuck, go through the questions and list what you DON’T want. Over time switch to what you do want.

Or have 2 lists: Want / Don’t Want.

Of google and find a new approach that fits your needs. There’s no one way to do this. And it’s okay if it takes you a minute to figure out how to make this work for you.

It will be worth it.

Because once you know that…….. There will be no stopping you!

Take a step:

Now you’ve got a sense of what you want. Time to get to work.

Take a small step. It should feel comfortable. Part of what makes all this career stuff so difficult is that it feels overwhelming. And some steps feel very uncomfortable.

So take a step forward that feels so comfortable, so easy, you’d almost be embarrassed not to follow through. Doing this a few weeks in a row and you’ll start to feel the momentum building. Then you can tackle bigger and bigger challenges.

Don’t underestimate how hard it can be to start. I’m no physics whiz, but I do know that inertia is a powerful force.

If you’re not sure what that first step could be, ask yourself: “What 1 small thing could I change this week to move towards my goals?”

And you’ve begun!

MANAGE EXPECTATIONS

Your career will run for 40, 50 or even 60 years. Over that time you’ll work with people you dislike. Be stuck in jobs that are boring. Or overwhelming. Get laid off. Miss out on promotions. And experience a million other things that are less than amazing.

Everyone does.

When expectations and reality don’t align, it’s disappointing.

Some people struggle with that. And get stuck.

In my experience, the people with the best careers accept the realities of work. The imperfections of people they work with. And focus on making the best of the situation as it is.

This doesn’t mean they stay in bad jobs or accept bad behaviour. But they don’t let it dictate their experience.

They focus on what they can control and keep working towards their goals.

I realize this "make the best of it" advice can sound trite. I'm even a little uncomfortable including it. But I've worked with people who have gotten stuck. On the unfairness, the jerks, the slow pace of promotions. And it made years of their professional lives a little more miserable than they needed to be.

It was never anything dramatic. It was moments woven through their days, weeks and years. They were a little less effective. A little more difficult to work with. Distracted. Less creative. And unhappy.

Managing your career isn't only about the big accomplishments. It’s about enjoying the journey along the way.