How to Discern What's Next

Only positive consequences encourage good future performances.
-- Kenneth H. Blanchard


Career anxiety. You’ve been there. You used to be happy doing what you’re doing, or maybe you never were, but you should be happy because it’s supposed to be such a great job and all your friends and family keep telling you that. So why do you keep feeling so antsy? Why can’t you simply adjust your attitude?

I hear it all the time. Clients contact me because they are in a place they no longer want to be, but can’t yet see the next “thing.” And I tell them that I have no magic beans to offer but that if we work together we will, at the very least, create some new ideas and get them moving forward in a strategic direction.

Along the way, we both have to practice a lot of discernment. I have to listen for what you’re really saying and not saying, and you have to develop the skill of knowing where to place your energy in order to produce your desired outcomes. Frequently, a client may have to discern whether it is time to throw up their hands and quit what they are currently doing in order to preserve their sanity or to make necessary changes to their current situation. Often you can make it tolerable (maybe even good!) until you work through the evaluative process (what I call the Four E’s of Discovery – see my website).

The most important step in developing discernment is to create your vision. I work with clients on crafting what their ideal life and/or career will look like so that we can both be guided by that vision as we do the work. If some form of vision does not lead you then you are more likely to set a lot of goals that don’t feel quite right.

Sometimes the exact vision isn’t clear, and that is o.k. I have had several clients who didn’t immediately identify “the next thing”, but were still able to make huge steps forward. The number one cause of career anxiety is the feeling that you aren’t being true to yourself, or you are not getting to be yourself in your current environment. If you can at least verbalize what you want to be like in the next phase (in control of my own schedule, plenty of down time, around people who inspire me, having fun) then you will find it much easier to navigate through the process of identifying your next move.

Once we get on a path away from where they are, a client will often ask me “What do I do now?” especially if they are in between wanting to get away from something and knowing where it is they want to go. At this point I tell them when evaluating choices and making decisions, ask yourself this question: “Will this move me forward?” It seems simple, but when you’re working so hard to try to “find yourself” it is very easy to become less discerning because you are so anxious to get on with something new. It can be tempting to quit a professional career and go serve fast food just to get out, but that is only wise if it moves you forward in your life. If it only gets you away from something and doesn’t put you closer to something better, it is probably not a good decision.

Remember, all big life changes require a lot of energy. To avoid expending energy unnecessarily, remember these points:

• Operate with some kind of vision, even if it isn’t completely clear. It will become clearer as you progress.
• Practice discernment. Every time you make a decision or choice related to your vision, ask yourself if it will move you forward. If it doesn’t, don’t give it any more of your energy. Redirect your focus.
  

If you would like to craft your own personal life vision and get started on it’s path, give me a call. I would love to talk further with you about it during a free consultation. Just drop me a note and we will set up a time!

Momentum Newsletter- July, 2007