Getting There

It’s SPRING!!! 💐💐 Are you ready?

I am!! I may love Summer, but Spring feels good and right now, I am super excited about the move into warmer weather. The possibility that here in the New York tri-state area we’ve escaped the possibility of significant snow storms makes it so much more welcoming. I also Iove the smell of growing flowers, but with the early arrival of allergy season, I’ve had to start popping Claritin like candy just to face day and I must say, it does not bring me joy.

What else brings me joy? It’s what the start of a new season represents. I was thinking about a number of new beginnings. Some in career, business, family, relationships and just life in general. Perhaps a new beginning and fresh start for you depends on where you are with your goals and in your story and journey. The end of the month marking the end of Q1 is a perfect time to reflect on where you’ve been in the last 3 months, where you stand today and how you can map out the next 3 months, 3 weeks or 3 days if you need it.

This reflection is for anyone, but for the purpose of this post, who better to jump-start this conversation than with someone in career or business transition. Let me ask you, what does this new season look like for you? For me, I’ve been on this self discovery journey for some time now and much of what I teach and encourage is for others to do the same self evaluation. You’ll find that this is relative to how you map out your long and short term goals. You see what you learn about yourself in this new season will determine what your future plans look like.

I want you to consider who are you now. Are you in a career transition? Are you focused? Do you struggle with procrastination? Are you easily distracted? Are you introverted? Are your priorities out of order? Are you spiritually centered? Are you afraid? Did something just not work? I know it’s a lot, but think about the answers and let them direct you.

If you’ve taken a few moments to reflect now consider a few goals to set.  If you are not familiar, try the S.M.A.R.T. way. It’s going to be a pretty easy to follow.

Here’s what it means:

You can break down any goal using this method. I have an example I often use in my workshops so I can keep it simple and relatable. Right now I have a goal to drink at least 64 oz of water per day. It’s specific and definitely measurable. It’s something everyone can achieve. It’s real and can be set for a time block. Kinda easy right? But when when you consider barriers like those I mentioned, being a procrastinator turns any planning into a daunting task you avoid.

I personally struggle in even starting to plan. I’m sure it’s not just me which is why I thought about you when preparing this post. So many people I coach share the same challenges in planning and setting goals and what happens when experiencing those challenges is going into freeze mode and doing nothing. I’ve learned it leads nowhere and its not something anyone wants for themselves.  I want you to think differently about how to approach the process.

Go back to the beginning of this post. Recognize the things you like, think about how a fresh start provides a new perspective. Then learn about yourself. Considering these steps as a part of your goals and plans will set the tone for how you approach what you want for yourself in this 2nd quarter of the year.

I promise its ok to erase and start over or just tweak what you’ve outlined. You may need to, but just take the step. It doesn’t have to be for the full 3 months. Start with one goal for the first week, then the next you’ll be well on your way to an effective plan leading to the life you want and one you’ll enjoy along the way.

Lisa M. Owens is a leader in Career Services, Coaching & Advising.  As the owner and founder of Journey Inspired Consulting, her mission is to encourage and empower individuals to Be Journey Inspired in their own story and career transition with the ultimate goal of moving into their dream job and the career they desire.

In addition to her work in career and job readiness through her business, she is a Program Manager at Long Island Cares/The Harry Chapin Food bank where she supports the mission of the organization to provide food and resources to communities across the Island.  She loves her work!  She is dedicated to building partnerships and providing opportunities which uplift underserved communities. She affirms everyday “Today I will use my gifts, talents and resources to help others and if I do or say anything that helps one person, I am doing what I am called to do.”