How to Plot Your Course to the Work That Works for You
Can you draw a map to where you want your career to be?
One of my best discoveries over the past few years has been Everyday Driver, an auto-focused website and YouTube channel. Think: Two dads talking about cars.
What has always impressed me about their work is the quality of their productions. Unlike a few car channels out there, the care and attention they place on their work—podcast, short videos, longer pieces—shines through every single time. As well as, their enthusiasm for what they do.
Over the years, I have been really captivated by one particular video they made, about getting into the right frame of mind when you’re driving your sports car. What is the headspace to be in when you’re hustling through a narrow canyon? Can you, as one of the hosts says, let it rip? Responsibly, of course.
Let’s zoom out a little, and replace that sinewy canyon road with the career you’re in now.
How can you investigate what you’re currently doing in your career, and where you want to be? Is there a detour, a new route, that you want to take, to get to the career that you truly want to do? Or to move your current work to a better, more fulfilling place?
Drawing your way to your success
Every career, every relationship has a map that’s unique to you. Just like the guys from Everyday Driver mapped out that day’s canyon run, you can map out the direction you want your career to take.
Why is having a map for your work so important? Just like searching for that perfect canyon road, finding work that works for you takes focus, direction and confidence. And the support of a career coach like me.
In looking at your map, we look your at starting point—where you are with your work at the beginning of our coaching journey. Then, we’ll discuss where you what to be—a different department at the office, or a different career altogether.
We’ll also look at the detours and roadblocks that could be delaying your trip as well. What pieces can we remove to make the journey just a little bit easier?
And that’s just the beginning. There will be twists and turns in our journey together. You may even redraw the map as you travel on the path. You will do all this working alongside someone who has taken the same journey, and had some of the same twists and turns. What I bring to you is knowledge, wisdom, and some fun along the way.
When you are satisfied in the work that you truly want to do, something amazing starts to happens. That satisfaction flows into your health, your family life, your relationships. The maps for the rest of your life become clearer. How you reframe your career can become the basis for reframing other parts of your life.
Here are three ideas to consider:
Your Career Path is a Unique Journey: Just like a map helps you navigate a road trip, your career map helps you visualize your unique career path. This path considers where you are, where you want to be, and any detours or roadblocks you might encounter.
A Career Map Provides Direction and Focus: Similar to how a map helps you stay oriented on that canyon run, a career map helps you stay focused and motivated on your career journey. By having a clear understanding of your goals and potential roadblocks, you can make informed decisions and navigate challenges more effectively.
The Map Flows Into Everything Else: How you draw your career map will determine how your family map, your friends map, your health map will look. How you do that one thing will be how you do everything. Let’s help you do it well.
Do you have a picture of what your map looks like? What support do you need to draw it? If you’re seeking that support, I invite you to reach out to me, and let’s talk about it.
I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career and health coach, trained in habit change, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals gain clarity on their career and health journeys. I invite you to click on the link, and let’s talk about how I can support you.