Assessing the impact of your career and life choices helps you understand whether you're making the most of your opportunities and having a meaningful effect on the world. It encourages you to set goals and prioritize actions that align with your values and aspirations.
To determine if you're making the right career choices, create an impact map by listing what you currently achieve, what you could achieve in a more senior role, and what you could do if you had no constraints. Compare these to identify the most fulfilling path and then align your actions with that vision.
Knowing what you enjoy and what you need to be happy helps you design a career that is both fulfilling and aligned with your personal values. It prevents you from taking jobs that might pay more but leave you unhappy and less flexible.
Break down the job you want into the specific experiences and skills required. Research bios of people in those roles, meet with them, and ask what they did to get there. Then, develop those skills through books, practice, mentoring, and side projects.
Balancing ambition with contentment is crucial because constant dissatisfaction can lead to burnout and missed opportunities. Enjoy the present while working towards your future goals. Engage in the moment and be aware that what you have now is valuable.
Living below your means can create career flexibility by reducing financial stress and allowing you to take risks or opportunities that might not pay as much initially. It helps you focus on what truly matters to you rather than just the salary.
Feedback from mentors and advisors can provide valuable insights and perspectives that help you grow and improve. Asking specific questions and seeking constructive criticism can fuel your career and help you understand what you need to do differently to reach your goals.
Effectively manage your time by proactively scheduling discretionary hours. Dedicate specific blocks of time to personal development, work, family, and other important activities. Use your calendar as an operating system to ensure you don't miss out on these important time slots.
Distinguishing between career constraints and desires helps you make principled decisions. Constraints are non-negotiable, such as time with family, while desires are more flexible. Understanding this helps you prioritize and make choices that align with your core values.
Iteration in career planning involves regularly reassessing and adjusting your goals and plans. This allows you to stay flexible and responsive to new opportunities and changes in the market, ensuring that you don't miss out on valuable experiences and growth opportunities.
Jump start your new year with a dynamic, action-oriented, inspirational conversation with Mike Steib, who is now CEO of XO Group, now known as The Knot Worldwide. During his time at Google, Mike created the “Career Manifesto” Google doc for his team. This doc quickly went viral, inspiring many Googlers and young professionals beyond Google’s walls. In this podcast, Mike brings the Career Manifesto to life through an engaging, insightful Talk geared toward early professionals who want to take control of their career path and make the most meaningful impact in their jobs in order to lead a more fulfilling life.
Originally published in April of 2017.
Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/) to watch the video.