Get Unstuck: Know Your Destination

I’m writing this aboard a flight to Hawaii…

And, I’m very sure of my destination (Kapalua, Hawaii) and why I’m going. My stepson is getting married!

Are you clear about your destination…at work? Where do you want to go next?

You may be unhappy, feeling stuck, overworked, stressed, and just plain bored. You want out. Maybe you want to bring your creativity to the world. Or use your talent differently. With different people. In a different place. On your own terms.

You know you want to do something different but are not sure what that is.

Here’s the thing: it’s hard to create a plan to leave and go somewhere else if you don’t know where you are going.

Pick a destination.

Don’t worry about getting it right the first time. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can always shift it, change it, tweak it, or refine it.

The question is: what does your ideal next step look like? What is your destination?
Here are some questions designed to help:

Who do you want to work with?
Where?
Doing what?
For whom? With whom?
In what kind of environment?
For what purpose?

Can you describe your destination? If you don’t know, here’s a little exercise. Write down your answers.

Think about what you do in your current job/work.
What do you like? (and would like to do more of?)
What do you hate? (and what would you like to let go of?)
What do you do that could be delegated to someone else?
What would you like to be doing, but don’t do now?
What would you like to learn?
What skills would you like to develop?
What would you like to build, create, bring to life?

Are you getting clearer?

Think of your destination as your “prize” work. If you could do this work, it would be like receiving a “prize.” Now synthesize what you have written to construct a profile of your ideal “prize work.”

Still struggling? Think of it this way: you are planning a trip. In the beginning, you don’t have to know exactly what your destination will be. But, you do need to know generally what you are looking for.

For example, you need to know whether you want to go to the beach, the mountains, the desert, or the city. Or whether it is a deserted, remote place or densely populated, full of glitz and glamour, or “without frills” (as in “roughing it.”) Or anywhere in-between. Hot climate? Cold climate?

What are the characteristics you are looking for? What does the destination look like generally? What is it filled with? Can you describe it? What kind of activities will you want to do when there?

Similarly, what kind of work destination are you looking for? Size of company (solopreneur or multinational?), types of people, state of company (start-up or fully mature?)? What do you want to be doing? How do you want to contribute?

The clearer you are about your destination or your “prize” work, even if you can’t be specific, the faster you will be able to find it. Have fun searching!

PS. And, if you need help moving forward, you might want to pre-order my book TAKE THIS JOB AND S.H.O.V.E. It – 5 Steps to Go From SHOVE It to LOVE It on Amazon. Click here: www.shoveittoloveit.com  (In it, you’ll find more exercises to help you become even more specific about crafting your “prize work” and destination.)