At this time of year, I take out my grubby notebook that sits by my bed, and write down my ‘positives’ from the last twelve months. It stretches my memory, but it’s worth it because:
- it forces me to focus on the positive at a time when we are blasted with negativity from the media
- it reminds me what I have achieved, learned, been proud of and struggled through
- and it points to what has been important for me this year – what I have valued.
Then I start writing what I’d like to focus on doing in the coming year…
2017 – The Year of Your Career Change?
…If you are thinking of a career change, and the Christmas break is a time when many of us reflect on what we are doing with our working lives, try our Values exercise below, to work out what really matters to you in your working life. I believe that our values can change as we gain experiences; negative events as well as positive ones can sharpen what really matters to us.
Career Change: Case Study
Take Jamie: he spent ten years establishing himself in his chosen career – Accountancy. He did quite well, but felt battle weary by the time he reached his early thirties. He started questioning why he was working late most weekdays and taking work home as well. He had started to sleep badly, was getting irritable at home, and his social life began to suffer. It had been tolerable in the first few years, or rather he had gone along with what was asked of him.
When he sat down and did the Values Exercise, he discovered that he placed low importance on ‘power and authority’ and much higher on ‘autonomy’, ‘learning’ and ‘variety’. We discussed whether he needed to change the way he worked or change the organisation he worked for. He decided initially to talk with his manager about new projects he could get involved with.
Contact CCS Today
Making the decision to change your career should never be done rashly. It is wise to sit down with someone who can help you to review and reflect dispassionately.
Do contact CCS today to book your FREE initial consultation. Here’s the Values Exercise to get you started on your career review:
Click here to try our Values Exercise »
Happy New Year!
