Happy 2018!
It’s January 1st and we are at the start of a new year.
You might have some important choices to make with regards to your life, your career, or your relationships this coming year. I want to give you some guidance on how to best go about making those choices for yourself.
I have found that the most effective approach to making good choices is from the Inside-Out. By ‘Inside-Out’ I mean exploring and becoming aware of yourself and what is important to you, and then moving outward to make a decision about what is best for you moving forward.
In order to go about making choices effectively from the Inside-Out, what you will want to explore and discover are your qualities, your values, your beliefs, and what your vision is.
I’ll go through each step in more detail so that you have more direction when going about your self exploration.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Qualities. In this first step take the time to get to know yourself through an exploration of your qualities. These are the characteristics that make you who you are. In order to make good choices for yourself about your future, your career, or your relationships, you will want to know what your qualities are. Once you are aware of your qualities you will have information for how you approach the things that you do, as well as information about the types of jobs that would be a good fit for you, the type of careers that best suit you, and what kind of relationships are best for you. For example, if you are a kind, caring, private, personable, honest, responsible person, you might find that jobs or careers that suit you are those that involve working with people one on one. When it comes to relationships, you might choose to have fewer friends and like to spend quality time with your friends each individually.
Step 2: Define What Matters to You. Explore and define what you value and what matters to you most. What is it that you most value? Do you value community? Do you value family? Do you value religion? Do you value helping others, making the world a better place, making technology user friendly, making older people feel comfortable, or serving your country? These choices I laid out are not laid out as choices for you to choose from. Rather they are examples of what some clients of mine have shared with me about what they value. Take the time to think about and get clear about what you value and what matters to YOU most. How will knowing this help you make choices about your future, your career, or your relationships? When you are aware of what you value most you will want to be sure that the job or career you pursue, or the people with whom you pursue a relationship with, either share those same values or respect what it is that you value. The right types of jobs, career or relationships for you are ones that share or are respectful of your values, and vice versa. You, too, want to respect or share the same values with the type of job, career, and relationships that you have and are in. When your job, career, and your relationships are alignment or respectful of what you value, it will allow you to be successful, joyful and fulfilled in those jobs, that career, and in those relationships.
Step 3: Define Your Beliefs. Once you have understood what you value and what matters to you most, now it’s time to get deeper. In order to gain clearer direction for what choices are the best ones for you, take the time to explore what it is that you believe about each of the things that you value. Pick one value from your work in Step 2 and ask yourself what you believe about how this value should be expressed in the world. For example, one of the things that I value is helping others. This is what I believe about helping others: ‘I believe that helping others means to empower others with a strong knowledge of themselves. It means to empowers others with the tools and skills to be successful in all that they do.’ Knowing this about what I value – helping others – guides me in the choices that I make regarding how I work with my clients, the teachers, trainers, and resources I choose to learn from, and the choices I make about my career moving forward. Take the time to explore and define your beliefs about the things that you value. Your beliefs will serve as your philosophy, which will guide you in the right direction for making choices that are best for you.
Step 4: Clarify Your Vision. This is where you get to think Big Picture. Think about the things you want to see happening in the world. Maybe it’s more kindness, maybe it’s more fairness and justice, or maybe it’s making shopping easier for the elderly. Whatever that vision is, define it. This vision will serve to guide you and give you direction for what it is that you want. The most effective way to bring your vision about is to take personal responsibility. Once you have a clear vision, take action to start creating that vision on both a micro and/or a macro level.
These are the 4 Steps I suggest you take to making the best choices for you moving forward this year. Take the time to explore each step in depth. I’d love to hear what you discover and find in your exploration. Please do get in touch with me to give me to let me know!
If you are in a transition and are feeling stuck and would like guidance and support with making the best choices for you in your life, career, or relationships moving forward, get in touch. You can tell me more about what it is that you require and I will let you know how I can help you.
In support, admiration and with blessings for a great new year for you and your loved ones,
~ Jenny
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