Thinking of a Master Plan

It seems as though time is slipping away faster than I'd like, but I realize that it is something that I can't control. On the other hand, what I DO with my time is definitely, something that I can control. Throughout your career journey, you will find that it is easy to become complacent, counterproductive, and stagnant when you fail to plan. I can remember wanting to get out of a particular role at one point in my career and as soon as an opportunity presented itself, I did just that. I started a new role, without planning, without direction and I said "yes" to the very next opportunity. It wasn't until my mentor posed a question that I realized how many times I'd failed to plan and moved backward instead of forward. She simply asked, "Where do you ultimately see yourself in terms of career"? When she asked me, I immediately responded because I knew what I wanted to do. The only problem is that I wasn't making choices in my career to get there; my impulse decisions were negatively impacting my career. This is where an effective plan would have helped!

When you have a plan, you can always revisit it and make adjustments as needed. In the absence of one, you will find that there is a lack of direction as well as focus. To successfully plan in your career, try the following:

1. Evaluate where you are and map out your career path. It can be a simple list initially and as you invest more time in your plan, add dates, timelines, and action items to the list.

2. Perform a realistic evaluation of self. You could be in a role that you don't like or one that isn't in line with your goals, so you have to take action. Start by making a decision to do something, start by understanding what your areas of opportunity are and what your strengths are. Assessing your skills and abilities allows you to articulate who you are and what you have to offer, which translates to others that you mean business.

3. Define short-term and long-term goals. Some of the items listed on your career path will take longer than others and you should be able to identify what they are. Your goals should be SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound). From there, evaluate your goals and revisit as needed to make changes.

4. Research and explore. Because your skills are transferrable, you should research alternative career paths. In pursing my degree, I realized that courses overlapped in HR, Small Business, and Management; therefore I selected courses that would allow me to have options. Don't be afraid to look beyond the immediate and outside of your current career. Exploring additional training and taking advantage of educational opportunities could ultimately enhance your career.

Finding the time to create a plan can be a challenge, so perhaps taking 15-20 minutes each day is an alternative. At the end of the day, the only person responsible for your career is you. If you're not willing to invest in your career plan, can you realistically expect others to spend their time investing your career?