FREE CAREER PLANNING ADVICE
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HOW TO MEASURE YOUR LIFE

I have some thoughts based on a great book. 

It is “How Will You Measure Your Life?” by Clayton Christensen, James Allworth and Karen Dillon.

How and What To Measure

FREE CAREER PLANNING - SET UP YOUR PLAN

In planning your career, you could evaluate just what is your end-game.  That is, what is it that you are searching for in your career or your vocation.  Is it money?  Is it fame?  Is it security?  It is self-satisfaction ... location? ... family?  Is it knowing that you are helping others?

In my view, it is critical that you know exactly what it is that you want to achieve in your career.  If you don’t, you will never achieve it.

As in all goals in life, it is good to set up a plan. Decide what is the end career that you would like to have. What qualifications, skill levels and experiences do your need.  Identify what steps you should take to meet them.

But we all know that no matter how we plan, we will all have to change it along the way.  So, to find your best career, experiment in life ... try things out.  As you learn from your experiences, adjust to what you have learned. 

You may even want to consider some great thoughts from a dad.  They can be found in "125 Proverbs For Fruitful Living: Wisdom From My Dad".  That is more of my free career planning advice.

APPLY YOUR PRINCIPLES

It comes down to the question asked by the author, Clayton Christensen... How Will You Measure Your Life?

Your Definition of Success?

The essence of what I got out of the book is that most of us want to be true to ourselves and true to our beliefs.  Only then, will we find that deep satisfaction in our career, our work, our vocation.

It would be great if some of us could figure this out early in our career. Some may take longer to realize we need to think about it and determine that we need to live a life with purpose.  And figure out what is that purpose.

One important point made by Christensen is that “It’s easier to hold to your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold to them 98 percent of the time.”  To me, that means that you always do the right thing, rather than make an exception, just this once.

Another way to test this is to consider what is your definition of success? Consider what you know now and where you are in life. Have you determined what it will take for you to consider yourself a success?

OUR DYNAMIC WORLD

Life is Dynamic

The interesting point is that your definition may change over time.  In fact, it could change on a dime.  For instance, you may have had a clear view of that definition in August 2001.  But after September 11, 2001, you may have realized that your view of success had been completely rewritten.

How many men and women decided within months of that fateful day to change their lives dramatically by enlisting in the armed services? 

You may know of someone who took other action, such as, changing careers to move closer to family.  Money did not seem as important as it was before.  Sure, we need money to survive, but faith and family radiated clearly at the top of the list for many.

Another example is the recession of 2008 - 2009.  That period changed the perspective of people because their savings level had changed.  Retirees may have decided to go back to work.   Others were now open to move across the country to find any job at all.

Whether it is before or after one of these catastrophic events, you should determine how you want to measure your life.  What will make you true to yourself?  What is your essence? 

The sooner you determine this, the bigger impact it can have on your life.

Christensen’s book is a good read and well worth your time.   It is not free career planning, but could help.

THE RIGHT CAREER

Walk Through The Door To A New Career

I have another element of my free career planning advice, as you evaluate the possible change in careers. You should try to figure out if you have picked the right career, in light of what you need to be a success. 

A good way to do that is to try your chosen career out for a day or two. Spend time with a mentor to help you quickly understand what that vocation entails.

Focus on evaluating your time with the mentor to see if that vocation does meet your requirements, filling your needs in living a life with purpose.  This could be your career launcher.

You may want to look through some of the internet sites for career planning set out by the National Career Development Association.  It may help you develop your goal.