Alternative to a Five-Year Plan Identify the work you love to do 1. Write down what you like about your current work. 2. Think of times when work felt like play to you you lost track of time, it was enjoyable, you produced great results. 3. What are some issues that you re passionate about and want to work on? 4. What are things that you are really good at, that you enjoy, that feel natural, and that feel instinctive to you? 5. Write down your top 5 core values. If you do not know them yet, please look at this worksheet.
Get clear on what you require and what you won t tolerate in a job 6. Reflect on jobs you have had in the past. Pull out a copy of your résumé if that helps jog your memory. In the boxes below, make one list in the left-hand column of the things that you absolutely loved about past jobs, and another list in the right-hand column of the things that you absolutely hated about past jobs. For example, these could be things that you loved or hated related to the people you worked with, the skills you used, the role you played, the issues you worked on, the physical environment you worked in, your work/life balance, etc. (See this post for a longer description.) Loved It Hated It 7. Now, read through your Loved It list. Circle the stuff that you feel is a must-have for any future job. Review your Hated It list and circle the things that you will never, ever tolerate again.
8. Ideal Workday Imagine your ideal workday. Describe it below, in as much detail as you can. Use extra space on the reverse side of this page, if you need it. Here are some questions to spark your thinking about your ideal workday: What time do you wake up? Where do you live? How do you get to work? How do you spend your morning? What kinds of people do you interact with, in what ways? What is your boss like? What are your colleagues like? What is your work environment like physically and psychologically? Where and with whom do you eat lunch? How do you spend your afternoon? What time do you come home? Where and with whom do you eat dinner? What do you do after work? What time do you go to bed?
Articulate what kind of life you want outside of work 9. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your present work/life balance. Is this number satisfying to you? yes no not really Why or why not? What does your idea work/life balance look like? What is missing from your current situation? 10. Ideal Weekend Day Imagine your ideal weekend day. Describe it below, in as much detail as you can. Use extra space on the reverse side of this page, if you need it. Here are some questions to spark your thinking about your ideal weekend day: What time do you wake up? Where do you live? What is your home environment like physically and psychologically? How do you spend your morning? What kinds of people do you interact with, in what ways? Where and with whom do you eat lunch? How do you spend your afternoon? Where and with whom do you eat dinner? How do you spend your evening? What time do you go to bed?
Reflection Read through your responses to the 10 questions above. What is this telling you about where you would like your career to be in the future? Describe the gap between where you are now, and where you would like to be. What needs to be done to close that gap? What are some specific actions you can take to close that gap: In the next week: In the next month: In the next year: Now choose one person whom you ll share this list of actions with and ask him/her to hold you accountable for doing them within the relevant timeframe. Write that person s name, and the date by which you ll share your action list with them, here: