I don't think there is anyone on planet that wouldn't agree the last couple of years has been challenging for anyone who was considering career change or looking at ways to advance their career. Leaders have been scrambling to help their organisations survive massive unexpected and complex change and then there is the financial anxiety and growing concerns around mental health of employees.
Personal stress is increased through extra pressure on personal relationships, supervision of home schooling, worries about the pandemic and how it will impact the elder members of our community. All of this accumulated stress can begin to feel exhausting and if not managed well can lead to burnout. But beyond the immediate impact of a rapidly changing world is the question of where you are in relation to your professional development.
It is important not to do anything reactive in the current climate and to take the time and space to contemplate and reflect on all options and opportunities and believe it or not they still exist. In leadership and life coaching we spend time working on understanding your values, motivations, skills, experience, purpose and industry. I also offer the opportunity to study mindfulness to build self-awareness and reduce stress that can come from the current work and life situation.
People who seek out coaching are usually those who recognise how beneficial it can be having a professional to reflect with, explore and map out potential opportunities as well as support you through actioning goals and moving through the change process. I believe it is really important to do this process well before making any significant change as you want to be as intentional as possible and ensure you're accomplishing your own steps to growth.
The following exercise is a great way to establish an overview of where you're currently at in your career satisfaction and balance. You can either print out this blog page or use your journal to write your results. Make a mark on the Professional Balance Wheel measuring how fulfilled you are in each segment of your career; 10 being fully satisfied and 0 being not at all. This activity can give you a higher level way of understanding what areas of your professional life you may want to work on and it is recommended you develop your goals hitting those targets. You can also give some thoughts on where you would like to get to and develop your smart goal with this measure in mind.
For more on professional leadership and life coaching visit my Empower 8-Week Program.