I was reading a book the other night and the author quoted Proverbs 29:18 and in his translation it stated: “Where there is no vision, the people perish...”
Now that got me thinking about my clients and career growth. Many of my clients come to me with a vague sense that something is wrong in their life. There is a gap or a hole that is difficult to identify or is producing an anxiety. They report that everything is “okay” but that the joy, pride or excitement they once had in their career is no longer there.
I’ve come to believe that many of us are suffering from a lack of vision. The loss of context to our lives. Many of us work to meet a need, achieve a goal of one type or another. Often these goals are born out of our core values. Say “Family” is a core value in your life and providing for your family is a principle goal... once the family is grown and on their own the reason for working so hard on the job is no longer there.
In a job search, if the job seeker doesn’t have a compelling reason for landing a job, it is difficult to motivate himself. He wakes up in the morning knowing that he has to look for work, but there is no drive, no plan, no vision. Alas the job search falters and the people perish.
Of course there are many other reasons why someone struggles in a job search or moving forward in a career... fear of rejection chief among them. Yet, without a clear vision and definite goals with timelines the person stands still. Whether a career has grown stagnant or the rug was pulled out from under you with a layoff, you’re most likely missing a goal and vision of your future.
Even a person who doesn’t like to plan needs to know where they are going, needs a vision of their life actualized. I think of Chevy Chase in “Caddyshack” when he’s advising one of the movie’s characters about life, “I'm going to give you a little advice. There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball... Be the ball Danny...”
Maybe Chevy Chase’s character isn’t a good example of a Career Coach, indeed he’s not. Still we all need to be in touch with our values and have a vision that is in alignment with our values. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. But with some willingness to look deeply into yourself, working with a coach or a mentor, your career and your job search can be meaningful and filled with passion, enjoyment and excitement. With a vision, you’ll not perish and will find that hole, that emptiness filled.
Now that got me thinking about my clients and career growth. Many of my clients come to me with a vague sense that something is wrong in their life. There is a gap or a hole that is difficult to identify or is producing an anxiety. They report that everything is “okay” but that the joy, pride or excitement they once had in their career is no longer there.
I’ve come to believe that many of us are suffering from a lack of vision. The loss of context to our lives. Many of us work to meet a need, achieve a goal of one type or another. Often these goals are born out of our core values. Say “Family” is a core value in your life and providing for your family is a principle goal... once the family is grown and on their own the reason for working so hard on the job is no longer there.
In a job search, if the job seeker doesn’t have a compelling reason for landing a job, it is difficult to motivate himself. He wakes up in the morning knowing that he has to look for work, but there is no drive, no plan, no vision. Alas the job search falters and the people perish.
Of course there are many other reasons why someone struggles in a job search or moving forward in a career... fear of rejection chief among them. Yet, without a clear vision and definite goals with timelines the person stands still. Whether a career has grown stagnant or the rug was pulled out from under you with a layoff, you’re most likely missing a goal and vision of your future.
Maybe Chevy Chase’s character isn’t a good example of a Career Coach, indeed he’s not. Still we all need to be in touch with our values and have a vision that is in alignment with our values. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. But with some willingness to look deeply into yourself, working with a coach or a mentor, your career and your job search can be meaningful and filled with passion, enjoyment and excitement. With a vision, you’ll not perish and will find that hole, that emptiness filled.
