Know Your Why, Shape Your Future: A Guide for Professionals in Career Transition
This is from my "New Year, New Job Is Still Possible" Series. You can listen to the podcast episode from this series here.
Hello, my career pivoter friends! Let's talk about something that often gets buried under stacks of resumes, job postings, and LinkedIn connections: your why. Yes, that's right—understanding your life goals and the way you want to live can be the secret sauce to making big career decisions, including if you should stay or go in your existing field and "what next?" Grab your morning beverage of choice, get cozy, and let's dive into how knowing your why can guide you through the labyrinth of seemingly infinite career choices.
The Power of Knowing Your Why
Imagine you're on a road trip without a map or GPS (or pretend it's 2001 and you don't have your MapQuest printout). You might end up somewhere fun, but chances are you'll also waste a lot of time driving in circles. Similarly, having clear life goals acts like your personal GPS for career decisions. It helps you stay focused on what truly matters to you and steers you away from distractions. It's so easy to get stuck making career decisions based on what old you wanted. And sometimes old you is quite old, like 10 year old you. But a lot has changed since then! Knowing what current you wants will help you make better decisions.
When I first started coaching professionals transitioning from meaningful work fields like education and healthcare, I noticed a common theme: many were unsure about their next steps because they hadn't pinpointed their core motivations. They had gotten into their original field because it either held meaning for them or told them something about themselves, but with those initial feelings gone, folks were lost. They didn't know why they were doing what they were doing or why they didn't want to anymore so how could they possibly know what to do instead?
Reflecting on Your Life and Core Motivations
So, how do you find your why? Start by reflecting on your core motivation. What drives you? Is it creativity, helping others, financial stability, or maybe a mix of several things? List them out—no need to be fancy; just jot them down on a piece of paper or in a notes app.
Maybe your why isn't a core motivation. Instead maybe it's the way you want to live. Do you not care so much how you make your money but want to make it to your kids' soccer games? Maybe you want to spend more time with your parents while they're still able to get around well and go on trips. Perhaps you just want to not always be stressing about making your monthly bills.
I remember working with Sarah (names changed throughout to protect people's privacy), a teacher who felt burnt out but was hesitant to leave her job. A pension would be hers in just a few short years! Through our conversations, we discovered her core values weren't connected to her work, but her life. She wanted to get outside, move her body every day, and make enough money to buy a house. This realization helped her decide that it didn't matter so much what she did for work, but what the work allowed her to do.
Setting Long-Term Goals
Once you've identified your core motivation, it's time to set the practical goals that would define that life. Think big! What would does it look like?
Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, or even 20 years? Don't worry about the specifics just yet; focus on the broader picture. Do you envision leading a team, starting your own business, or perhaps working remotely while traveling the world? Where do you live? Who is with you? How do you spend your days? Really envision where we want to go.
I once worked with a small business owner named Robert who dreamed of working on big client projects where he got to execute on a full, creative vision without the penny pinching he experienced with his current small business clients. By setting this long-term goal, he was able to make smaller career moves that eventually led him to his current position heading creative marketing.
Aligning Career Choices with Life Goals
Now comes the fun part—aligning your career choices with those long-term goals. This is where knowing your why really shines. When faced with multiple opportunities or when considering a major career change, ask yourself: Does this move bring me closer to my ultimate life goals?
Do you need a job that's flexible? Do you need it to be remote? Do you need to make at least $100k? Do you need a specific benefit, like IVF coverage? Do you need a boss who doesn't need to be managed?
Write it down! Outline it. Journal your heart out. Or one of my favorites, record yourself talking through the ideas. I personally do this when I am out on a walk. Movement, being outside, and talking—my favorite activities.
Take Mary from the nonprofit sector. She loved helping people but had become disenchanted with the nonprofit industrial complex. Her core motivation was still connecting to helping people, as it was when she first started her career, but she no longer felt like there was only one way to do it. She transitioned into a lower level position that actually paid better and focused her attention on getting a degree in counseling so she could help people in a way that more closely matched her new "why."
Getting Comfortable with Our New Why
Our goals shift as we grow and evolve. I personally believe that society, our families, and our schools shape our identity when we're small humans, and as we grow up, we have a chance to slowly become more and more of ourselves. With self work and healing, we become the people we would have been without those outside influences.
If we're becoming more of ourselves, of course our why, core motivation, and life goals will change.
Embracing Flexibility
Since we're changing as we become more of ourselves, we might not be done evolving when doing this work. (Will we ever be done?!?!) That’s okay! Embrace flexibility as you learn more. Change is good. Adjusting your vision will change your career choices.
If new opportunities arise that resonate with you deeply—even if they weren't part of your original plan—consider them seriously.
I once coached Tom from sports management on a career pivot where we ended up exactly where we started from, except with significantly more pay, more power, and a heck of a lot more understanding as to why this indeed was the right path for him.
Practical Steps to Implement Your Why
Alright, enough already—let's get practical! Here are some actionable steps:
Self-Assessment: Take personality tests like High 5 or Sparketype to gain insights into what you love and what makes you tick.
Vision Board: Create a vision board with images and quotes that represent your life goals and values. I like to do this in Canva.
Mentorship: Seek mentors who align with your aspirations—they've been there and done that. I wrote about finding a mentor here.
Skill Inventory: Discover your transferable skills you already have that can help pivot towards roles aligning with your why. I created a super short DIY course on transferable skills that you can find here.
Do Some Research: Listening to podcasts from your potential new field can be eye-opening.
Continuous Learning: Stay curious and keep learning through courses or workshops relevant to your evolving goals. I love LinkedIn Learning and Coursera for this, as well as taking advantage of everything your current org offers.
Conclusion: Trust the Process
Understanding your why isn't an overnight epiphany; it's a journey filled with self-discovery and reflection. But trust me—it’s worth every moment spent pondering. Whether you're contemplating leaving healthcare for tech or moving from non-profit work to corporate gigs, knowing your why and how your career choices support that will act as your North Star.
So go ahead—dig deep into what you want your life to look like and what impact you want to make in the world and let those insights guide whether you stay or go and your "what next." Life is too short to spend timing doing what doesn't serve you.
Looking for support in this process? Start a free virtual strategy session with me now.