7 Tools And Strategies To Unlock Your Vision And Uncover Who You Want To Become
So many of us feel an immense amount of pressure and confusion when it comes to our career path. We know that we have the potential to do something great, but we don’t know which direction we should be building in. On Wednesday, May 23rd, WAYE MasterClass series spoke with world-renowned leadership coach Matylda Czarnecka to learn how to unlock our personal life vision and uncover who we truly want to become. Here is a recap of the seven tools and strategies that we learned that will help you to take control of your future.
1) Champagne toast
Close your eyes and imagine that you are ten years into the future, and your closest friends and family are celebrating you and making a toast in your name- what would it be for? What would they be saying about you? Think less about what you want to achieve, and more about who you want to become.
2) Identify the qualities of those who you admire
Think of one famous person, one present or former colleague, and one family or friend that you admire. What is it specifically that you admire about these people? What qualities do they possess that stand out to you? Write them down.
3) Connect the dots
Notice the connection between who you want to become and the qualities of those who you admire- this provides clarity as to the type of person that you want to be. This is directional.
4) Don’t underestimate curiosity
We often feel stuck or lost because we struggle to identify what it is that we are most passionate about, but in doing so we are underestimating the power of curiosity. What topics, industries, or causes are you curious about? What subjects do you find yourself reading up on outside of work hours? These are your curiosities, which reveal a lot about your interests. Explore them further.
5) You have the right to rewrite your resume
You have the right to rewrite your resume as many times as needed. You are not confined to a job or industry simply because that is what you have done up until now. Think about the intangible skill sets that you posses or are developing that you could use elsewhere. What you may see as a disadvantage may be the very thing that sets you apart.
6) Watch out for the WOW and SHOULD factors that keep us in jobs
Sometimes we allow the wrong incentives to lead our career choices; most commonly mislead by the wow and the should factors:
wow factor: we choose a job based on how impressive it looks to other people and what it reflects to society (money, fame, power, intelligence); but it is not a reflection of what we truly want to be doing.
should factor: we stay in a job simply because of short-term incentives that makes us feel like we should (i.e., we have worked there for a significant amount of time, we are close to a promotion, we are comfortable).
7) Embrace the discomfort
Feeling like you are on the wrong path or not moving fast enough can bring a significant amount of discomfort, but embrace it. Discomfort is the signal that you are ready for change and that it is time for something new. Discomfort is one of the biggest catalysts for growth, so channel it as the fuel that will drive your next step, and be confident that you are ready to leap.
Take the time to define success for yourself. Think less about what you want to achieve, and more about who you want to become. It is never too late to start writing a new chapter in your life, so listen to your curiosities and expand from there.
Yours Truly,
Sinead