Transition Dynamics

Career Clarity Article

Knowing When a Clue is a Clue You Can Use

In my last newsletter I wrote that Finding a Dream Career is like going on a treasure hunt.  Read Finding Your Dream Career to understand the kinds of clues you want to collect---from who you are to your favorite skills and interests.

As promised in my last article, today's article describes how you know a clue is a clue you can use.

(Although I'm using your dream career as your target in the following examples, you can also use this same technique when you are deciding where to go on vacation, figuring out how to handle a difficult relationship, determining how to tackle big project, or any other quandary.)

To put together the pieces that show you the best direction to take, look for two kinds of clues: the clues that show you what you are magnetized to and repelled by. Both of these clues are crucial signs to help you create a situation that truly works for you. I call this internal mechanism the HeartMagnet (tm).

If you haven't been able to follow your own wisdom and intuition in some time, you may need to wake up your HeartMagnet (tm) and strengthen it before you can use it to guide your quest for your Dream Career.

1) The clues that magnetize you tell you more about what you want in your work and your life.

~~ What draws your attention? Is it a particular lifestyle or work schedule?
~~ What are you attracted to? Is it a certain skill or topic?
~~ What energizes you? Is it working with a certain kind of client?
~~ What is your ideal situation? Is it working from home or having a short commute?

As you live your life, train yourself to take note of what attracts you. Notice when you are drawn to circumstances, interests, lifestyles, and locations. Make notes to describe the specifics of what you discover.

You can also proactively explore certain areas of your target to think through elements you aren't running into in your daily life. Perhaps you work for a corporation in an office building, but you think you want to run your own business from your home office. Although your day to day work life may not give you much opportunity to collect clues about working from home, you can build your list of clues with a bit of imagination and detective work.

~~ Begin by imagining what it would be like to work from home. What elements appeal to you?

~~ Then start reaching out for relevant information. Talk to someone who works from home. Read a book about the pros and cons of working from home. Visit a home based business. Keep notes to track your discoveries.

2) The clues of what repels you show you what you don't want in your work and life.

~~ What repels you? Is it cubicles or mega corporations?
~~ What annoys you? Is it a certain industry or work function?
~~ What drains you? Is it a particular skill you don't like any more?
~~ What turns you away? Is it a commute or a kind of client?

Sometimes understanding what doesn't work for you provides you with valuable clues that can help you bring your ideal picture into focus.

Just as before, use your life experience to notice what repels you. Don't brush off your discoveries. Instead study what it is about a particular situation or circumstance turns you away. Understanding the details helps you insure that you don't unknowingly create a similar situation for yourself again.

One caution: As you collect clues about your future career, vacation, relationship solution, or project plan, don't get complacent and settle for something that truly doesn't work for you.

If you are faced with a tradeoff situation, you may need to lower your standards in one area to gain something important in another area. The key is to consciously choreograph the tradeoff to maximize what works for you.

In conclusion: Once you've gathered your clues, start looking at how they all fit together. Do you see any themes that begin to point you toward a particular field, industry, or profession? The key is to find the slice of professions that are most interesting to you. Then you can focus your time and energy toward researching a finite number of careers.

If you'd like help tying it all together, pick up a copy of Your Dream Career For Dummies or sign up for the Career Clarity Program (tm).

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