This Thanksgiving: Reflect On Your Career
Thanksgiving: endless plates of food, football playing on TV all day, family you haven't seen in a while, kids running around on a sugar high, Dad falling asleep in the recliner, arguing with teenagers to get off their phones and join the conversation...
Maybe your Thursday will look like this, or maybe it will look completely different. Still, this holiday is an important time to rest and be with family and friends. But if you do have extra downtime this week, it might be a good time to reflect on your life – and how your career is impacting it.
Most of us spend the majority of our time at our jobs. Studies show that nearly two out of three workers are not happy in their careers. If you’re not happy at your job, chances are it’s affecting your happiness with life in general.
Write down the steps below to determine if you’re truly satisfied in your career.
Reflect on the positives of this year.
What have you accomplished? What were the highlights? What are you thankful for about your company?
Reflect on the negatives of this year.
What were your biggest challenges? What didn’t you like? What would you go back and do differently if you could?
Make a list of the values and benefits that are important to you in a company.
How many of these does your current employer have? How important is each one to you?
Think about what you want to accomplish next year.
Set goals/resolutions. Can these be accomplished at your current employer? Is there anything standing in your way of achieving these goals?
Decide what matters most to you in your career. Rank the importance of these factors:
Salary
Work environment
Technologies used on the job
Benefits, perks
Flexibility
Telecommuting
Good team/leadership
Other: _____________
Ask yourself: are you doing what you want to do at a company that you want to work for?
Hopefully, you’ll be inspired this Thanksgiving to think about what you’re thankful for. Researchers have found that gratitude is important to emotional well-being. If you don’t feel thankful for your job, it might be time to start thinking about other options.
Tweet your response at @MATRIXResources or leave your questions/comments below. Happy Thanksgiving!