Leapfrog your career with this strategy

When it’s time to change your job, do you do it because:

• (a) you would like more money
• (b) you don’t like your current set-up; be that the boss, your team, the location or the job itself, or
• (c) you have a plan and it’s time to master some more on-the-job tools.

Here’s the rub, if you’ve left because you want more money. You may feel further ahead than a colleague who’s working on option c in the short term. But once the foundation is laid and the momentum begins to kick in for colleague c, not only will they bypass you, they’ll be earning money that you can only dream of.

If you chose option b, it’s important to know why that matters to you. If it’s a colleague, your boss or the team, heal that relationship before you leave. Otherwise, there’s a high probability that you’ll land where it feels familiar and you’ll find yourself with a new boss, a new colleague or the team pushing the same old buttons.

Today’s is all about option c, beginning or advancing your career with the end in mind. You may find yourself passing on a seemingly short-term lucrative opportunity knowing that if you’re strategic now, you set yourself up to cherry-pick your dream job later. Oh and for those marching at pace, later doesn’t need to be that far away.

How to set your 10-year vision

Let’s just reset our nervous system. Take a slow breath in, hold it and slowly let it out. Good. Now, allow your breath to find its own natural rhythm. It is 10 years from today and you’re in your dream job. This is the job that lights you up, it feeds your soul, you feel recognised, rewarded and alive.

• What are you doing?
• Where are you working?
• Who are you serving?
• How many hours are you working?
• Who are you working for?
• Why are you choosing to work for them?
• What is it that matters most to you as that person in that dream job?

What skills are you most proud of?

Right now we’re just playing. Don’t judge it, don’t compare it. You’re growing in awareness. There’s no five-point plan.

You’re just dreaming, you’re just exploring. You’re understanding what feels good. What makes me the best version of me? Now write that down and get really specific. Now, it’s just a daydream. There’s no pressure, there’s no rush and there’s no to-do list.

We’re simply revelling in the desire phase so that we have clarity on what matters most to us. And once you’re clear on that dream job, take a step back and ask yourself who do I need to be within myself to do the things that that job requires of me? So for example, if your dream job ‘you’ is confident and you feel it would help you to be more confident than you are today. What thoughts does confidence ‘you’, have? How do confident ‘you’ celebrate her success? Are you doing that now?

What skills would you like to sharpen? Don’t limit it to work skills. You’re a person, not just a worker.

Your container of beingness

Ok, so now you’re starting to accumulate your container of beingness that’s associated with feelings, experiences and skills. Take a moment now and tell me about the job before that, tell me about the job before that dream job. You know, the one that set you up to effortlessly walk into that dream job.

• Why are you choosing to give your time to them?
• What matters most to you in this job?
• How are you being?
• What skills and experiences are you accumulating in this role?
• How specifically are you developing those skills?
• Who’s in your network?
• How can you foster those relationships today?

Now, keep repeating this process of questioning. Keep working backwards to find the role, the skills and the experiences in the job that helped you to effortlessly walk into the next one. We’re going backwards, we keep on going until you find yourself in the here and the now.

Landing your dream job

You’re in your current role, now you have the map, the strategic plan that helps you accumulate the desired skills, ways of being and attributes that are going to allow you to land your dream job but don’t rest there, share that plan with your trusted network.

Share your strategic job plan with your network and pay it forward by keeping their plans in mind and seeing how you can help them. I strongly encourage you to play the long game and avoid the temptation of a short-term salary bump, choose a role that matches your criteria. Now, the salary bump could still be part of the equation, but it’s not the only reason. Life is about curating experiences rather than waiting for your holiday or retirement to do that, choose roles that bring these desired experiences to you, now. Understanding what you want and why you want it.

It’s a major contributor to on-the-job fulfilment. So be selective. Remember anyone who employs you, they’re lucky to have you.