Begin to Begin

First Happy 2016!  May it be a productive and blessed year!

I admit to being one of those people that hates to START anything on January 1st. We’ve all done that. How many diets and exercise plans have I started on January 1st only to revert on January 2nd? Way too many to count. It just feels doomed to fail or it has the potential to not live up to expectations because it has the New Year vibe attached to it. Even starting something on January 2nd seems more realistic, more attainable, and more actionable. Regardless of when you start something the key is that you STARTED!  That is what it is all about. Starting. Begin to begin.

At the beginning of the year people often assess what they accomplished the year before, what they wished they had been able to accomplish and what is still important enough to accomplish. Face it, some things need to fall off the list and some things need to stay on it. (Alas, I need to organize the basement! That has to stay on the list.)

An item that frequently ends up on our list is assessing our careers, our jobs, what we REALLY want to do with our time, our energy, our brain power. I bet for most people, the career landscape looks a little different than what we have right now. In some cases it may feel like wholesale changes; maybe giving up a C-suite position to teach in a foreign country? But for most of us it is more likely minor tweaks.  Maybe a slightly different role using our core capabilities or moving to a new company that is building a new business that matches your goals. Whatever the change is it will take focus and attention to make it happen.

I suggest you start with something that isn’t pressure filled liked responding to a plethora of job postings. Start with identifying what it is you want to be spending your energy on. On my website I called it “Identify your passion”. Write down where you see yourself adding value, how you want to be regarded in the work place, what makes you feel like you are contributing.  Start there. Then you can start to think about next steps like reaching out to your network, updating your resume, beginning to research potential ways to write your next professional chapter.

Beginning to assess your situation and where you want to go is creative and energizing. It is all about imagining your next move and starting to put your plan together. A new year; a new direction. Begin to begin.