I love to take long walks on sunny days. Since I have an aversion to the sun (no wrinkles for me!), I always wear a big floppy hat. Unfortunately, my hat partially obstructs my view when walking (okay, I’ll admit that I’ve walked into a branch or two!) During one of my recent walks, with my head down, music playing on my iPod, I was amazed to discover that I had covered quite a long distance without realizing it.
It occurred to me that my walk could be a metaphor for life. If we keep our heads down and just move for the sake of moving, we’ll get somewhere, but is it where we really want to end up?
I always ask my coaching clients - “What is your vision for your career? Where do you want to ultimately end up?” Unfortunately, most people never consider these questions. Instead they are more focused on present concerns and as a result their futures are hit or miss. Neglecting to plan out your career is like putting a boat out to sea without a pilot to steer it.
Consider how your life would change if you had a master plan for your career. If you decided in the present where you wanted to ultimately end up in the future and then carefully laid out a plan in reverse for reaching each significant step along the way.
There is a famous study which monitored Harvard Business School graduates from 1979 to 1989. In 1979, the researchers asked the MBA grads if they had goals and if they wrote them down. Only three percent of the class said they had goals and had written them down. When they revisited the MBA grads ten years later, they found that the grads who had written their goals down made ten times as much money as the other 97% combined. The moral to this story is that if you want to get ahead in your career, set clear goals for yourself and be sure to write them down.
Creating a master plan for your life and career would be like taking off your hat, unplugging your iPod, and mindfully taking each step on the road to success.
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