Blog Post: Happy New Year!

On this first day of the year, I reflected a bit on 2008. Like many of the jobseekers I work with, my career went in a direction I could not have planned. I was uncertain at first, but I decided to go with it, take my own career planning advice and am now in a great place. Everything has worked out well. I’m working with interesting clients and colleagues. I’m especially thankful to have some stability in otherwise unstable economic times. I’ve learned to balance objectivity with intuition because you can’t always wait for 100% clarity before you take action. Clarity often emerges AS you take action. It’s just like children learning to walk.  They can’t walk until they start putting one foot in front of the other. 

My overall approach in 2008 was different. I decided I wasn’t going to make any firm goals.  I simply would let happiness be my guide. If something was going to make me happy (however I defined that in the moment) I was going to do it. Sharing my career insights with job seekers makes me happy and was where I did focus some energy. I tried some new things and was able to connect with 100s of thousands of job seekers, including many former classmates. I got emails from all over the world thanking me for my advice and resources. That made me happy and encouraged me to step farther out of my comfort zone. There are more new ideas I want to try, and I’m excited for what 2009 has in store for me.

I didn’t throw all caution to the wind, but being a driven, goal-oriented person, I was surprised at how easily I could go with the flow. I tried new marketing techniques without knowing for myself if they would work. Some worked, some didn’t, but at least I tried. As a result, I’m more open to new ideas and ways of doing things. I’m less afraid of failing. I’ve become more accepting of people and our respective differences of perspective. I’ve learned and gained valuable insight. It’s been extremely satisfying, personally and professionally. 

My hope for you in the New Year is that you find happiness in that “sweet spot” where your career aspirations, positive attitude and efforts intersect. I encourage you to be open and available to receive. I encourage you to reach out to people and gain support from your friends and family. Help others where you can, too. 

I’d be happy to hear your insights from 2008 or perspective for 2009. Feel free to send me an email or give me a call.

Also, request your free copy of my SPECIAL REPORT: 6 Tips For Discovering The Work You Love By Working With A Career Counselor to learn how you can get focused in your job search.

To Your Success!

Markell

Markell R. Steele, M.Ed., NCC, Career Counselor is the owner of Futures in Motion, Inc. and author of Fast Track Your Career: Three Steps for Finding Work You Love. For the past 13 years, she has helped frustrated job seekers connect with their dream jobs in less time with less stress by sharing her secrets for career happiness and success. Her company provides career assessments and career transition assistance. More articles can be found here- http://futures-in-motion.com/article_archive.php.  She can be reached at Markell@futures-in-motion.com.