Many people fall into careers that they did not deliberately choose or ones that made practical sense at the time.

Take Jane for instance. As a child, she dreamt of being a famous historical fiction writer. She always had her nose in a book, devouring multiple titles a week, and excelling at essay-writing in high school.

As Jane approached post-secondary school, got input from her parents and well-meaning advisors, her plans evolved, and she ended up in business school. Ten years later, she was a successful partner in a marketing agency. And she was burnt out and miserable, and desperate to find a career she could love.

This story is common.

Fortunately, you don’t have to forever stick to a career path that you’ve embarked on earlier in your career. You can pivot in a direction that will help you realize your career aspirations and your fullest potential by intentionally defining your future and take action – no matter your age or life stage.

Here are 12 steps to move in the direction of your career goals and dreams.

1.      Be a student of yourself.

Before you can fully explore your career possibilities, you need to get to know and embrace who you are. This process might include journaling, taking some career assessments, or working with a coach to create greater awareness around your values, beliefs, strengths, passions, innate preferences, and ways of working.

2.      Identify possibilities.

Be open to a range of career options and think outside the box. The world of work has expanded considerably, and there is an infinite number of possible directions you could take. Brainstorm ideas without judgment and research them with equal zest. You might just surprise yourself and land on something completely suitable that you never expected.

3.      Define your dream job.

You can’t achieve something you’re not 100% clear about achieving. Craft your ideal job description. I do an incredible exercise with my clients, in which they write elements on post-it notes and then see their ideal job come together in front of their eyes. They routinely comment on how alive they’ve felt once they figured out exactly what would make them happy at work.

4.      Know your why.

Career – and life – fulfillment most often stems from doing meaningful work – work that is meaningful to you. Go the extra step to explore your life’s purpose, and you’ll always have that north star guiding your every career decision and step. This is what will keep you motivated to reach farther and higher in your career. If you lack a ‘why,’ you’ll remain unmotivated and uninspired. Know your why and you have a better shot at achieving your potential.

5.      Visualize your goals and dreams.

It’s no coincidence that successful people, including actors and sports stars, routinely use visualization to improve their performance. Mental practice makes perfect and the same can be applied to landing your dream job, too. In one study, people who pictured their goals were 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish them.

Add a picture and your brain is much more likely to remember your goals and look for clues in your environment to help you succeed at it. Furthermore, people who use visuals to describe their goals are 52% more likely to love their job.  

6.      Put your goals in writing.

Fact: you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. So, put your intentions down on paper and keep them visible.  Better yet, use the 5X5 manifesting method of writing down your goal 55 times for 5 days to jumpstart your positive energy and focus.

7.      Eliminate limiting beliefs.

Many of my career-changing clients let false facts hold them back from getting the most out of life. Don’t believe the myths like “It’s too late,” “I’m too old to make a change,” “My kids need me now,” or “I’d have to go back to school.” I work with them to see alternate realities and install new beliefs about what’s possible.

You are the only thing stopping you from achieving your hopes and dreams.

 8.      Identify strategies to achieve your goal.

There are many paths to lead to your destination. Keep yourself open to different ways of realizing your goals. You might decide to go back to school or gain new credentials, and there are other methods of gaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities you’ll need as well. Talk to people in the field and learn how they went about acquiring the experience or get help from a credentialled career coach to come up with options.

9.      Develop a plan and stick to it.

Once you’ve gotten clear on your desired outcome, strategies, and created a winning mindset, it’s time to document your plan and execute it flawlessly. Dedicate blocks of time each day and week to achieving your goal and reward yourself as you adopt new habits that support your success. Enjoy ticking off every complete item on your plan and gathering momentum as you move forward every day.

10.  Market yourself with confidence.

To get what you want, you must tell people what you want and show them you are capable of excelling at your dream career. This means networking with ease, creating a killer resume and cover letter, and weaving a compelling story during the interview. Nervousness about selling yourself is normal, but with some targeted reflection, practice, and simple tricks, you will even surprise yourself!

11.   Get support.

Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Whether it’s to identify blind spots, brainstorm ideas, keep you accountable, or challenge you to go further, enlisting a respected friend, mentor, or coach can make the difference.

12.  Stay optimistic.

Maintain a positive outlook while you work through every step in this process. There will be bumps in the road, and maybe a few twists and turns. But hold your focus, be persistent, and keep your spirits high and you will eventually get what you want.

Use this guide and before you know it, you’ll be on your way to realizing your career goals and dreams faster than you ever expected and with much greater ease.

 

 Lisa Petsinis is a certified life and career transformation coach who works with women to get unstuck and step into their power to achieve their goals and live a fulfilling life. Contact Lisa on her website and jumpstart the changes you want, starting today.