By Jenni Burton, Founder ASPIRE Consulting & Coaching
Helping high-performing professionals take the next steps in their career, so that they can reduce stress, and align with fulfilling work.
I was driving home from a client session the other day when instead of taking a left turn home, I impulsively took a right turn to travel past my old house, a short distance away.
Instantly, memories started to come back as I felt a nostalgia of a version of myself at a different time.
I could feel myself pulling into the garage after work when I was trying to figure out next steps in my career.
I could see sunny weekends with a baby on my hip, while holding a toddler's hand down the front steps.
Instantly, I could feel the differences in my life, and the changes that had come.
But, as it turns out, not everyone is nostalgic about visiting an old home.
When I ask people if they visit their old homes, some not only don't, but also make a conscious effort not to visit.
"It's in the past... why would I go back? I'm moving forward."
Our careers are the same way - some look back and examine their past experiences, other don't.
High-performers can sometimes have the hardest time looking back.
"I know I did some good stuff before, but now I'm focused on hitting this goal in front of me."
The perspective I have gained in coaching high-performing individuals is this:
Going back and looking at your career has a positive impact on how you move forward.
So often, we are pushed into a society that only focuses on "what's next", achieving more, doing more, that we forget to look back at how far we've come.
We forget to remember all that we've learned, or all that we had overcome to sit right where we are today.
We forget to thank others and ourselves for the lessons learned and mark our progress as just that - movement, no matter where you are today.
Visiting my old house gave me the boost I needed to continue to justify the path to move forward.
And looking back at my career helps me foster the lessons learned in each phase of my trajectory, to coach my clients well and to build a business I'm so inspired by.
Sometimes to move forward, we have to realize how far we've come.
JB
ACTION:
Find some time today to look back at your career. On a clean piece of paper:
Pick 2 different jobs that stand out to you in your career and write each down on the page, one at the top and one near the middle of the page.
Write what you were most proud of achieving in each job
Write the most important thing you learned in each job
Write 1 thing you worried about that end up working out. What actions did you take that contributed to this outcome?
Turn the page over, and write 2 Action Items from your work that you can incorporate into how you move forward.
PS - Are you looking back at your past jobs as you prepare for the next step in your career? Get your resume reviewed, PLUS get a 45 minute resume strategy session for a limited time price.
Jenni Burton is the Founder of ASPIRE Consulting & Coaching, and helps professionals take the next steps in their careers, so they can reduce stress and align with fulfilling work.
Want to take the next step in your career? Schedule a coaching consultation with Jenni today.
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