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The process of attaining your ideal career calling begins with the establishment
of your passion and purpose. Passion and purpose are how
we serve others. Once defined, you then will create your required steps
to success, called
interim goals.
All of your goals should be established
around your purpose, which requires critical reflection. Your purpose will
not magically invade your body or fall from the sky. It must come from an
exploration of what makes you unique and compelling as a human being
and how you can best serve others through your talents.
Be certain to create your career plans from critical reflection (self-awareness)
and not from guilt, boredom, or panic. For example, many people
after a holiday season of indulgence and overeating look in the mirror
at an unflattering image of themselves and set a New Year’s resolution to
lose weight. After two or three days of punishing themselves during an internal
struggle to consume fewer calories, they regress to established habits of
snacking, 2nd or 3rd helpings, or desserts every night.
There are several potential reasons for this behavior (belief systems, identity,
comfort level, habit, positive or negative associations to food) but all point to
one missing ingredient: if there is not a clearly defined purpose or strong enough
why,
people revert to their established comfort zone. Find a compelling reason
to achieve your goal and you have a chance;
without a strong
enough
why,
you will fail.
Measure your career and life like a one-time opportunity and act as if there were
no second chances because, in reality, there are not. There are no dress
rehearsals or do-overs. Enjoy each successful experience and sensation in your
development, no matter how small or insignificant.
Often, life presents us with unexpected and wonderful possibilities, which are not
initially apparent. Seek the hidden treasures in a chance encounter, an email to
an author who moved you, a unique opportunity to voice a new idea in your
next staff meeting, or a conference where you could be inspired or meet your
next new partner.
Section 3 – Goal Setting
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