Have you ever sat down and thought about how you got to where you are today? If you are having doubts about your job it’s normal to track back through your career and wonder how you ended up here.  Maybe you got a job straight after University and never looked back, or maybe you stumbled into something when you were younger and got promoted through the ranks and now you have found yourself in a great senior position with all the trappings of success.

You should be really proud of yourself for working hard and achieving such a fulfilling career.  So, why are you feeling dissatisfied now?

Well, let’s go back to the beginning…..

Take out a blank piece of paper and draw a timeline from when you were born to now.  Write along the timeline key dates and actions that have impacted your life, for example:

Where you were born è Where you went to school è Did you go to University? è Did you move away from your home town? è Did you have relationships that may have influenced your career? è Did you get promoted or change departments?

As you complete this exercise, a narrative will begin to unfold around each of the steps that you have taken.  For example, maybe you didn’t get into the University of your choice so that meant moving to another city that you hadn’t planned for; or maybe you have had an influential person in your career such as a supportive boss or senior colleague who encouraged and inspired you to go for a promotion, which then took your career in another direction; or maybe your parents have helped shape your career.

All of these factors play a part in our career and often we are taken out of the driving seat and fate, chance or whatever you want to call it take over and we are swept along with the current and before we know it it’s 10 – 15 years later and we’re left wondering what happened.

So, here is your opportunity to face your career head on and take stock of where you are and how you got there and you get to decide if this is where you want to be or if you are ready for the next part of your career story. 

I guarantee if you complete this exercise you will have a new understanding of how you have made decisions in the past and how they have influenced where you are now. You will be able to take a step back and notice your decision-making patterns and understand why you are experiencing such doubts now and this may shine a light on where you should head for next.

This is one of my favourite activities to do with clients as, very rarely do we get the opportunity to reflect on our lives and career and use it to propel us forward in such a powerful way.

About the author: Hey there! I’m Lola Brocklesby, founder of Viva Career Coaching and I love helping people who are striving for more in their career finally find a career that they love.  If that’s you, please get in touch.