5 Steps You Must Take Today for a Better Career Path

5 Steps You Must Take Today for a Better Career Path We all want to create a better future career, right? In my experience with clients, Ive yet to meet someone who would like their career to go backwards make less money, less growth opportunity, etc. If you agree then are you taking the right steps to move your career forward? Many of my clients arent sure what those steps are. Your exact steps will be unique, however, here are five steps you should take today that will put you on a path to a better future career. 1) List your priorities This type of exercise is not about listing what you *should* have on your list like security, family, health, etc. Those are great, of course, but the idea here is to create a space where there are no rules. So, if your priority right now is creativity or seeing how many hours you can waste reading books, please include them on your list! Believe it or not, that is part of aligning a future career! 2) Update your resume I know. I said it. No matter where you are at right now happy in your position, actively looking, or havent seen your resume in over 10 years its time for an update. Actually, look at your resume as a live document. Its also a big confidence booster to remember all of the great things youve accomplished! 3) Answer this question Where do you want to be in five years? Do you know off-hand? Have you ever really answered that question? The step here is to consider it. What would you like to be doing in five years? Write it down. Again, there are no rules for this answer it doesnt have to be related to your current job. 4) Tell someone what you wrote If you are uncomfortable telling a close friend or family member, make an appointment with a career coach. For many people that have called, it turned out to be the best step to make those dreams a reality! Plus, a coach can quickly help identify your unique next steps. It is important to tell someone else. Doing so taps into a deep-rooted human characteristic that compels you to accomplish any future-looking public statement that you make. When you keep your future plans to yourself, its much easier to forget about them. 5) Let go This step usually surprises people. Its also a hard step to take. Letting go of your future is sometimes the best way to receive what you want. Yes, it sounds paradoxical. And it is.  We get so wrapped up in what we ought to be doing or what sounds good.  We can spin our wheels trying to force a job or a connection to be what we want it to be; however, what I am suggesting in this step is to let go of all our anxiety about making something happen and trust the spontaneous nature of our dreams being able to find us.  Our job is to prepare, do the introspective work, and take action.  Its not our job to control the future, so practice letting go and seeing what happens too. Now that youve take these 5 steps, step back and look at what youve done. You have broken the mental paradigms that your current job instilled inside you. Then you determined what your true priorities are and what youd really like to do someday in the future. Plus, now that youve told others and updated your resume there is nothing stopping you from taking the next 5 steps! Well done.