Is THIS the year you’re going to make the career change you’ve been thinking about?

I would love to help you get there!

Try these 3 steps to get you started and stay on track.

Step 1: Connect with your vision for the year.

Visioning the future is a powerful exercise. It helps elite athletes and musicians improve their performance, can arouse hope, and increase well-being.

But it can be surprisingly challenging to do. Our brains are wired to look to the past to predict the future. To imagine a future can feel like wishful thinking or a waste of time.

I encourage you to give it a try.

Here are two ways to envision the future:

1. Try this Visioning Exercise.
2. Imagine your future retirement celebration:

• • • Write down what you see, feel, or hear.
    • What are people saying about you?
    • What are they thanking you for? 

Step 2: Pick your top 5 priorities for the year.

You have many obligations, interests, and distractions to keep you busy with things that might not get you where you want to go. 

Pick 5 priorities that align with your vision. By doing so, you consciously set the intention to focus on the important things. 

Here’s one way to determine your 5 priorities:

• Make a list of 25 things you want to do this year. Include all aspects of your life: health, family, relationships, finances, career, fun and leisure.
• Circle the 5 you want to focus on. These will be your priorities for this year.
• Write them down and make two copies where you can see them. You could place one copy on your desk and the other on your nightstand.
• Forget about the remaining 17 things you want to do. Yes, forget about them!

Step 3: Make the top 5 priorities non-negotiable.

This is about the commitment you make to keep the top 5 the top 5! When a commitment is non-negotiable, you will consistently take the actions required to keep that commitment.

Tips to help you stay committed:

• The brain loves the predictability of consistency. A daily routine can help you stay in the game.
• Say NO to everything that does not align with your 5 priorities! Create space for what you say is a priority.
• Engage with your future self in the following ways:

What might result from the action I’m about to take 1 week, 1 month, 1 year from now?

How do I want to feel in 1 day/1 month/1 year? Is what I’m about to do going to help me get there?

Final thoughts.

To get what you want, start with a clear vision.

Choose your priorities and commit to them.

Write down your priorities and keep them in a place where you can see them every day.

Develop a routine to help you stay on track.

Connect with your future self if a present action threatens to sabotage your efforts. 

What do you want this year?