Are you a planner, or do you like to do things by the seat of your pants? Before we go any further, you have to be honest about this.
Some folks hate to plan. They want everything to be done spontaneously. Spur of the moment. They like surprises. They long for serendipity. And that is great for many things in life, but when you are starting a major life-changing project, such as finding the ideal career, surprises are nice, but so is planning and approaching the project with a sense of order.
Before you install the roof on your house, you first need to have the house erected, and you sure better have a foundation in place.
So planning is good. Say it with me: Planning is GOOD.
Before you start the journey to your new career, you need to answer the following questions HONESTLY! This is the PLAN.
- Do you have a goal, a dream?In one sentence, what is your ultimate goal for this career journey? Do you have a goal? Can you express that goal, or dream?If you don't have a goal, start thinking about it. Dream big. Shoot for the moon. There is no right or wrong answer. It is your dream or goal.This is the high-level dream, the high-level objective.A long, long time ago, when I was 10 years old, I was asked this by a clergyman who was trying to get me to think long term: Warren, what is your goal or dream?My answer was simple. I had no idea how or why or if I would be able to achieve it, but I had a dream. My dream was to be a medical missionary.My dreams have changed over the years. My ultimate dream or goal avocationally is still the same as it was 30 years ago: I wanted to (and still want to) be a chaplain to terminal and geriatric patients. That has not worked out because of a number of institutional changes and regulations that I found unacceptable. I have not given up on it, but I have moved on.So I am in IT. My goal is simple: I want to provide the best training and education I can to make IT fun and understandable to those who take my classes.I would also love to earn a Ph.D. and become a professor who can positively affect students entering IT.Is that ego? Nope. It's a dream, that's all.Remember that you can have more than one dream or goal. But you have to have a dream or goal.And you don't necessarily have to give up on your earlier goals. Happenstance might cause them to come to fruition.Be ready for the unexpected and be ready to change. But have a goal.