Career Management and Life Planning Tools: Eight Powerful Questions About Your Future

"Most people don't plan to fail. They just fail to plan." This old saying applies to any area of your life where you want to make some positive changes. Prior to planning, however, you must get absolutely clear on your intentions, and then keep those intentions top-of-mind as you make your plans and live your life. Identifying your intentions is particularly key if you are setting professional goals for the coming year, or considering a career transition.

The following questions are designed to help you identify your priorities and GET AT what your intentions are. If you are like most people, you have a nagging, vague sense of where you need a course correction, but your thoughts are too fuzzy and ragged to have much of an impact on your actions. Work through these question on your own, or work with a partner or a coach. I have seen many successful people clarify their intentions with these questions, and then use them to inform their career transition or other life changes. These eight clusters of questions apply, whether you are making major changes or simply fine-tuning. The clearer you become with your intentions, the more powerfully they will impact your life.

  • What are your intentions for your next work chapter? What do you want to bring to it that has worked for you before and what do you want to do differently? What do you want to bring forth from yourself in this new adventure? What experience are you looking for, and what kind of support do you need for that to happen?
  • What are the things you have tolerated or are currently tolerating (people, behaviors in yourself or others, low standards for this or that, and so forth), and how can you eliminate these tolerations as you move forward?
  • What experiences do you want to have had, 10 years from now, looking back over your previous 10 years? You might express these experiences in very concrete terms, such as, "I want to have seen fields of tulips in bloom in The Netherlands." Or you might express these in more abstract terms, such as, "I want to have learned to recover more quickly from 'mistakes,' and to have grown thick-skinned enough that I no longer dwell on things I wish I'd done differently," or, "I want to do something groundbreaking with my team, where we all pull together and do something amazing."
  • What do you want to learn in your next professional chapter, whether at your current position or somewhere else?
  • Do you want to create some shift in any of these areas?
    • simplifying your life
    • finishing incompletes (with projects, with people)
    • handling money, creating reserves
    • taking care of your mind, body, spirit
    • extending your boundaries, being well protected (insurance, as well as more abstract protections)
    • raising your standards
    • re-orienting around your values, strengths, and what delights you
    • creating a healthy support network
  • What might de-rail you or get you off track or out of balance as your life gets busier? What can you do in advance so that doesn't happen?
  • What are the ways you are holding yourself back from dreaming big -- ways you are telling yourself to only shoot for, say, St Louis, rather than the moon?
  • What do you most fear about your future? Get very vivid and clear and detailed about the fear; get friendly with it. Then figure out a way you would deal with that which you fear -- not just how you would survive it, but how could you come through it with strength and even some grace. Then figure out yet another way you could deal with it. What is your intention regarding this fear?
  • If you could use some support for any part of this process, including how to make your intention become a reality, do not hesitate to get help from a career professional. There is just no reason to stay stranded and alone. Most career coaches will provide a complimentary initial consultation which will give you a strong sense of what coaching can do for you.

    Copyright 2004, Sharon Teitelbaum.

    Sharon Teitelbaum is a Work-Life and Career Coach who works with high achieving women with young children, people at mid-career, and professionals seeking greater career satisfaction or work-life balance. Her book, Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: Restoring Work-Life Balance, is available at her website, http://www.stcoach.com.

    Certified as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Sharon works by phone with clients around the world and in-person in Boston.

    She delivers keynotes and workshops on work-life balance issues, has been in national publications including The New York Times and Working Mother Magazine, and has appeared on cable and network television. She publishes http://www.stcoach.com, a newsletter offering practical tips for work-life success.

    Sharon has been married for 30 years and is the mother of two amazing young women. You can contact her http://www.stcoach.com.

    monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..
    In The News:

    Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.
    MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.
    The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.
    Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.
    The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
    ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.
    Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.
    Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.
    Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.
    Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.
    Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.
    Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.
    Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.
    Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.
    New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.
    A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.
    AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.
    A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.
    New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.
    The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
    Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
    Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
    Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
    Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
    Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

    Skills or Beliefs: Which Matters Most to Your Business?

    Skills or beliefs; this may well be another example of... Read More

    It is a Challenge to Succeed

    (excerpted from The Challenge to Succeed audio series)It is a... Read More

    Work Life Balance: Work Life a Balancing Act

    Australians are loosing their laidback, carefree reputation, as we continue... Read More

    Trusting The Higher Self

    As very few people achieve enlightenment in one lifetime, as... Read More

    Better Instead of Bitter

    I have been studying several books lately that deal with... Read More

    Self-confidence - How To Develop This Important Key to Success

    "One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key... Read More

    Feng Shuei To Attract Money

    The first thing that you need to do is get... Read More

    Life Versus Lifestyle

    There is a difference but what constitutes a life... Read More

    The #1 Success Secret of All Time

    From time to time I receive correspondence from individuals with... Read More

    What is Optimum Performance?

    What is Optimum Performance? This question raises different responses from... Read More

    Moving to the Other Side of Box

    Few books have impacted my perspective on human psychologically and... Read More

    Potholes On The Road To Success

    Howdy folks, today I would like to speak to you... Read More

    Discover The 90/10 Secret: It Will Change Your Life

    The 90/10 secret is incredible! Very few know and apply... Read More

    The Opportunity Clock

    When I was in college, I heard someone say something... Read More

    4 Scientific Strategies to Become Brilliant At Anything

    In this brief article we will explore four methods that... Read More

    Success - Your Are What You Think About

    You have complete control over your thoughts. Thought patterns develop... Read More

    An Honest Commitment To Action Is Key To Your Success

    With topics in personal development ranging from goal setting to... Read More

    Of Courage and Greatness

    Courage is something that is reflected and reciprocated, and is... Read More

    Let It Be You

    Each and every day, there are people all around the... Read More

    Education Leads To A Healthier And Happier Life

    Do you feel you lead a healthy and happy life?... Read More

    Achieve the Success You Want: 7 Reasons Why People Dont

    Change is one of the biggest concepts facing today's society.... Read More

    You are the President of Your Own Nation

    Congratulations! You are the president of your own nation, and... Read More

    Signs Along the Road to Achievement

    One of the first things most of us remember hearing... Read More

    8 Ultimate Secrets Skyrocket Your Success!

    Whenever I ask people this question, "what do you really... Read More

    Own Your Success

    Are you getting frustrated because the work you continue to... Read More

    scheduled maid service Mundelein ..