Laurie Luh

As a human resources executive and career counselor, I work with many people who are trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Whether they are students, recent graduates or have been in their profession for many years, the problem is still the same. What they really want to do has been buried beneath layers of living in the land of too hard, too old, too late. They’re afraid that they won’t make any money doing what they really love. They think that they will have to go back to school or relocate or that their friends and family will think that they’re crazy.

Because it all seems too scary, we often decide it’s safer to stay exactly where we are. That way, we don’t have to make the really hard choices. The problem is that by staying put, you are making a decision and mostly likely one that is weighing you down.

The great news is that you don’t have make a drastic change to get a better sense of your career purpose. You just have to start asking yourself a few questions and do a little soul searching. Taking even the smallest step shifts energy and creates possibility.

To help you find the answers, I created a journaling exercise with questions that are designed to be simple and fun. It’s broken down into three weeks. The first week is outlined below. The second and third articles will be posted over the next two weeks. You can start anytime, but Monday-Friday seems ideal. Work alone or partner with your friends and make it a party!

In the first week, you’ll create your journal (online or notepad,) list your dream jobs and detail your favorite career attributes. The second week narrows the search down to your likes, skills and hobbies. In the last week, you’ll be given the tools to actually search for the job of your dreams, including popular websites and targeted job searches.

Make just this one decision and you will be taking the first step out of career limbo. The questions are short and sweet and the answers are already inside of you. Give yourself this chance to really dive into your passions. You deserve to know where you want to go.

Week 1

Day 1. Wish list - Make a list of every type of job you would like to have if money, age, family responsibility or any other type of “perceived” obligation did not exist. Go big and write down everything your heart desires. Include a short explanation of what you like about each job. It will help you identify patterns and themes later.

Day 2.  Career attributes - Write out the details of what you really want in a career. Not the career itself, but the components that would make a career good for you. Would you work from home? Do you want a boss that would mentor you?

Day 3. Remember when - Make a list of everything that you wanted to be when you were little. Really have fun with this. Did you want to be a writer or a singer? Write down everything that you can remember. Really connect with your inner child.

Day 4.  What’s important - Write out the things that matter most to you. If the world were ending tomorrow what would you regret not doing? What do you like to do for fun and what do you wish you could do more often?

Day 5. Pick a job - If you could have anyone’s job in the world whose would it be and why? It’s okay if you want more than one person’s career. Write down all of the jobs that come to your mind.