The process of career and life defination ...

Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.” – Karen Ravn

Defining career and life – heck, that is what our parents did for us – right? Sadly, in many cases yes. I recently met with a woman who was in nursing – a fine and in-demand professions – who admitted that she really never liked nursing, but her father told he it would be right for her. Or the son of an attorney who “pushed: his son to law school – and he never had any interest in law. And the stories go on and on. Fast forward to today and the reality of the career marketplace. You have choices – many choices – perhaps too many choices – if you can open your mind, dream and visualize possibilities.

The market of today provides opportunities to change, redefine and adapt to an ever changing market fueled by technology, innovation and changing social norms. So you can change with it – when you understand the process of life & career definition. It isn’t defining the job you want to be in by the commonly known Big-Four Factors: 1. Money 2. Moving up in an organization or having your own business 3. Having power or more responsibility 4. Being able to retire – early – to do what you really want to do These factors are important. However, defining career & life is beyond these four known factors and looks at you in a bigger, more holistic picture of where you are and where you want to be. Defining career & life is evaluating and finding answers to: Defining Your Goals – Where you want to be from a total person picture. Not just money or status – but achieving goals that will make you smile and know you are doing good for yourself, your family and community. Your goals may include health, financial stability, having flexibility, being a leader and so and so. Defining Your Life – This is a big one. Visualize you are at your own funeral and people are talking about you – what do you hope they say? Do you hope they say that you could always be counted upon, that you were good to your word, that you lived life to the fullest, that you wore a smile every day? That you were happy, purposeful and compassionate? There are the factors important in defining your life, and it is critical to begin writing your “funeral speech” now by living your life as you wish it to be defined. Defining Your Values – As a world, we have been shaken by the acts of terror, the financial collapse and other every day terrible events. In many cases, this has been a wakeup call, and a call to live life by the values important to one. Values are our fundamental beliefs and include honesty, integrity, compassion, courage, honor, responsibility, patriotism, respect and fairness among many others. Defining your values in life & career will steer you to what is right for you to do if it aligns to your values, and what you should not do if not in value alignment. Defining Your Give Backs – As you structure the picture of your life & career, visualize and commit to ways you can give back – to yourself, family, community, the world, etc. Giving back is a return to those who have helped you – your family, community your God or others – and is an important consideration in this process of defining your life & career. When you can measure it, define it and visualize it, you are in the position of managing it and being it – that being your life & career. You have embarked on a critical step. Reward Yourself! And thank you for reading this. - Dan