By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

We often ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As an adult thinking about your future, it’s time to ask yourself, “What do I want to be next?” Whether you are lookinh got your first professional role, in a post-layoff career transition, or you're employed and contemplating your future, it's always a good time to think about what you want from your professional life going forward.

As a job seeker who is unhappy with their current situation, I understand the tendency to feel like you are in no position to be picky. However, when I talk with job searchers having difficulty landing a new role, not having a focus for their job search actually slows their progress considerably.

​Most of the time, employers are less likely to hire someone who wants what I would call “any old job.” Most companies would rather hire a person who genuinely wants to do a specific type of work, has the necessary skills, and is targeting an identified role. One of the best things you can do for the success of your job search is to figure out what you really want to do, then use your resume and LinkedIn profile to promote yourself as a match for your desired role. 

When you're not currently employed and nervous about your future, it's natural to think, “I need a job as quickly as possible.”  or to skip thinking altogether and seek out exactly the same job you had before. It’s not that you can’t seek the same type of work—because you can. Just make sure to reconfirm with yourself that you are going toward a role you want. Here are ideas for how to go about that process. ​

A good starting point is thinking about what really matters to you in life and how you express those values. 

Personally, I also find that it's challenging to think of the right words to articulate those high-level ideas that matter to you.  I discovered the think2perform Online Values Exercise at a previous job when I was designing a retirement planning seminar. Since thinking about your money (or your work, for that matter) starts with what you care about on a larger scale, this is a great starting point. Personally, I take this assessment on at least an annual basis because the process helps me revisit my values in general and helps me more thoughtfully talk about what I do and why I do it.

The assessment itself includes 51 named value cards and 4 rounds of reviewing the cards. The total time to complete this activity is about 15 minutes, and perhaps more, depending on how much contemplation you do during the process. You also have the option to add your own values as needed. In the end, you'll have 5 value cards with descriptions that name and describe key areas that matter to you. 

After you identify your top 5 values, think about how you live those values in your life and how you would like to express those values in your work. Use these as your guideposts as you move on to the next steps. ​

The CliftonStrengths Assessment (previously known as Clifton StrengthsFinder) is a wonderful tool for identifying what you are good at, how that manifests, and how your version of each strength shows up. It not only helps you identify your top strengths but also gives you language to talk about skills you didn't even realize everyone else didn't have.

To access this assessment, you can purchase the StrengthsFinder 2.0 Book (which includes a code for the new CliftonStrengths Online Assessment) or you can directly pay for and access the CliftonStrengths Top 5 Assessment on Gallup.com. Either option should cost around $25 for the basic assessment and results, with the option to purchase additional assessments or training based on your level of interest. 
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The 30-minute online assessment includes 177 questions including paired statements. On a scale you select which of the statements is more like you. From there, you'll receive a report identifying your top five strengths along with a more detailed description of how those strengths are exhibited in how you interact with the world. Reading a report about yourself (one that is freakishly accurate, by the way) is downright life changing.

After taking the assessment, you'll be able to see your unique talents and have language to explain how what you do sets you apart from others. Having a way to put your abilities into words can translate directly into your resume, and how you talk about who you are and what you bring to the table.

Think about your previous jobs and life experiences and reflect on what you liked and didn't like. As yourself the following questions and write down your answers:
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• What field or fields would you like to work in?
• What job titles might be a good fit for you?
• Are you interested in a full time, part time, contract, or freelance job?
• How many hours do you want to work a week?
• What size of company or industry would you like to work for?
• Would you like a manager role, individual contributor role, or player/coach role (doing both)?
• What work hours and schedule would you prefer?
• What salary would you like?
• How much time off would you like?
• Would you like to work in-person, part in-person and part remotely (hybrid), or all remote?
• How many miles/lengths of time would you be comfortable commuting? How often would you want to commute?
• Would you like to travel for work? If so, how often over what period of time? Driving or flying travel? What travel percentage is ideal for you?
• What benefits are important to you? What would be nice to have?
• What focus area(s) would you like to have?
• What skills would you like to be able to use on a regular basis?
• What day-to-day activities would you like to do?
• What do you want the role of your work to be in your life?
• What is on your “oh hell no” list?

One helpful way to find out more about possible career options is to talk to people who are currently in those roles.  By reaching out to individuals in your professional network and asking them to put you in touch with people they know who could help, you can make new connections and find out more. This will help you start to bridge the distance between your skills, and possible job titles and companies that might be a good fit for you. 

By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Beginnings and endings often make us think. When relationships, jobs, or projects end, we often reflect on recent events and our desired future state. Taking time to reflect on what went well, areas for improvement, and lessons learned can give us clarity on what matters to us and how to set goals that help us achieve what is most important to us.

It’s human nature to want to keep the past in the past and move boldly into the future. Consequently, we often skip over self-reflection that could help us learn from the past, select the right goals, and identify the why that will help us succeed. We may also want to skip self-reflection to avoid dealing with unpleasant truths or uncomfortable emotions. While pausing to reflect can be hard, it can help prevent you from patterns of behavior that keep you stuck.
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Let’s look at a straightforward self-reflection activity that can help you select the right goals and make the progress you want.

I use Gallup’s Five Elements of Wellbeing model as a starting point. This model identifies and labels five important areas that work together to form our overall wellbeing:

• Career Wellbeing: You like what you do every day.
• Social Wellbeing: You have meaningful friendships in your life.
• Financial Wellbeing: You manage your money well.
• Physical Wellbeing: You have energy to get things done.
• Community Wellbeing: You like where you live.

In short, if you’re struggling in one area of wellbeing, it will harm your overall wellbeing. By reflecting on each area, you will start to see connections between the different areas, how the areas impact one another, and how you could make positive changes to improve your overall wellbeing. 

​Use these questions to reflect on each of those five elements of wellbeing:

• In a sentence or two, what does _______ wellbeing mean to you?
• On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best, how would you rate your current satisfaction with your ______ wellbeing?
• Over the past few months, list one thing that positively affected your _____ wellbeing.
• Over the past few months, list one thing that may have negatively affected your _____ wellbeing.
• List one way you could improve your ____ wellbeing. 

Here's an example of what this reflection might look like as you think about community wellbeing:

• In a sentence or two, what does community wellbeing mean to you?
  For me, community wellbeing is about being a part of different groups of people that matter to me. That includes relationships with co-workers, professional colleagues, neighbors, and people with similar interests.
  
  
• On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best, how would you rate your current satisfaction with your community wellbeing?
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• Over the past few months, list one thing that positively affected your community wellbeing.
  I took on a volunteer role within one professional development group.
  
  
• Over the past few months, list one thing that may have negatively affected your community wellbeing.
  When work was hectic, I had less time to dedicate to that volunteer role. 
  
  
• How have the other areas of wellbeing impacted your satisfaction with this area of wellbeing?
  When I was part of a big work project, it required more of my energy than usual. This left me with less energy for social interactions, and I felt stressed out because of work and my community involvement.
  
  
• List one way you could improve your community wellbeing.
  ​Looking at my calendar and making sure I proactively manage my time can help me not overcommit myself to do too many community activities when I have other commitments.
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After reflecting separately on each element of wellbeing, ask yourself the following question about your overall wellbeing:

​Based on your reflection on each element of wellbeing, which area do you want to focus on?​

By going through this activity and evaluating your lived experiences through the lens of each area of wellbeging, you may notice trends. For example:

• You may notice that not having enough energy is a common theme, which may prompt you to focus on areas of your physical wellbeing like getting more sleep, healthier eating, or addressing emotional/mental health concerns. 
• You may notice that your job satisfaction is not where it should be and that you need to focus on your career wellbeing like figuring out your longer term career aspirations, having a conversation about your work future, or considering other employment options. 

Use what you learn from your reflection to inform how you focus your attention and what goals you set.

Do you factor your wellbeing into your overall goal setting? How do you do that? Include your thoughts in the comments.

By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Beginnings and endings often make us think. When relationships, jobs, or projects end, we often reflect on recent events and our desired future state. Likewise, as we prepare to begin a new month, season, or year, we often set goals.

Many times, people jump to old standby goals like “lose weight” or “get a better job” without taking time to reflect on why that goal is meaningful to them. I also think that is why a lot of new years resolutions and other hastily made goals fail. Turns out, it’s perhaps even more important to figure out what matters to you and why.  This often skipped step is how we discover a deeper seated motivation, which can help us to actually make those goals into new habits.   

When you’re setting personal goals, and you want to make sure they stick, identifying your values is a great place to start.

When thinking about the life you want to live, it's essential to start with what is truly important to you. Identifying those guiding principles will help you decide how you budget your money, how you want to spend your time, and what type of work is right for you.

​Finding the words to express your values can help you live in alignment and increase your overall wellbeing—as well as give you the much-needed motivation to progress towards goals that support your values. 

I find it challenging to think of the right words to articulate what I value. While there are many lists online you can use as a starting point, I prefer using the think2perform Online Values Exercise.

This free online assessment includes 51 named value cards and four rounds of reviewing the cards. The total time to complete this activity is about 15 minutes, and perhaps more depending on how much contemplation time you need. In the end, you'll have five value cards that name and start to describe key areas that matter to you. 
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Recently, when I retook the values assessment, I identified these as my top 5 values:

After you identify your top five values, think about how you live those values in your everyday life and even how they play out in your career. As I took the assessment this time, I found that I liked some of the value names, like autonomy and helping others, as well as parts of the value descriptions from other cards. ​I realized how important it was for me to personalize my values to make them truly my own.

Fine Tuning Value Names

For one, I work in the field of Learning and Development, and previous job titles I have had included the word “training” in the title. For me, the idea of education resonated with me, but the word "education" was not quite right.

When I thought more about what matters to me, I landed on the word "learning." For me, "education" has the connotation that I need to take a class in order to learn. I'm a firm believer that learning comes from all directions all the time.

Fine Tuning Value Descriptions

I also took more time personalizing the descriptions. While I chose the word "relationships" to label one of my values, I incorporated details from descriptions for related terms like "family" and "community." I also included details that help inform how specifically I want to be sure to live those values. I included one line about different types of individual and groups, and what might bring us together, including this line: "Seeking out groups and individuals that align with my priorities, preferences, and interests." 

While I kept the word "health" as the value that mattered to me, I decided to update the standard description of “placing importance on physical and emotional wellbeing.” Instead, I thought about what health means to me and how I can live that value. My description for health included these details: "Leveraging habits and routines that maximize my energy and support my overall wellbeing. Prioritizing my physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing by focusing on nutrition, movement, and self-care. Honoring my need for social and alone time.”

I have completed this values exercise multiple times, and I find it comforting that the tend to be relatively stable, but always evolve as I do. I notice that my results change a bit depending on what personal challenges I've faced since my last assessment.

The words that have remained in my top five consistently over time are autonomy, relationships, and health. When life has felt unpredictable, words like stability, security, and safety have moved up. Similarly, since work is such an important part of my life, there are always words directly related to what I do for a living. In this case, learning and helping others round out my top five, and represent not only my work, but my general approach to the world. 

Do you take time to think about and name your personal values? How do you go about that process? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

​For me, the past year has been very full. For the first six months, I was in career transition, a volunteer facilitator for The White Box Club, and writing my book Seven Lessons From Seven Layoffs: A Guide.

Then, I started a new job, and everything changed. I spent the next six months learning my new role, adjusting my finances back to my working person budget, and focused on finalizing and publishing my book.   

I have a love/hate relationship with setting personal goals. Instead, I feel like I have a general direction in life and continue to modify and hone that direction as needed. I may change where I focus when I stumble upon a new interest, when an opportunity unexpectedly presents itself, when a once murky path becomes clear, or when life hands me a beginning or end. Sometimes, it’s as easy as the start of a new week, year, or season to motivate me to reflect. 

This time, I’m taking a step back to revisit goals a little differently. Just a few short months ago, I was acclimating to my new job, working on paying off a few bigger ticket items, adjusting to my new adult ADHD diagnosis, and making the bijilion little required decisions to get my book over the publishing finish line. Now, with many of those items crossed off of my life to-do list and coming off of an amazing visit from my daughter, it feels like the right time to reassess and consciously decide what to focus on next.

Here is my plan for doing a bit of structured soul-searching as I contemplate my way forward:

• Start with values. I’ll retake the think2perform online values assessment. This gives me a chance to revisit my values and see what feels right for me in this place in time and space.

• Revisit strengths. I’ll review my CliftonStrengths report and see what resonates with me now.

• Consider the elements of well-being. I like Gallup’s five elements of well-being: Career, Social, Financial, Physical, and Community. I’ll consider my current state and where I’d like to be in each area.

• Review accomplishments. I’ll l take time to think about and appreciate what I have accomplished this year. I’ll also think about what I’d like to stop doing, start doing, and keep doing, and where I might want to focus going forward.

• Consider specific goals and prioritization. I’ll think about my desired outcomes, how I want to spend my time, and how possible areas of focus rank in comparison.

• Check in with others. After I think about what I want, I’ll also check in with my immediate family. Being aware of what is important to them right now will help us align our goals where needed and support one another.

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• Write it down. I’ll write down my top focus areas and specific goals on a whiteboard in my living room. Having it in a place where I will look at it regularly reminds me of my priorities. Interacting with what I’ve written will help me make progress or understand where I need to shift my focus. 

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What prompts you to revisit your priorities? What is your process for refection and goal setting? Share your thoughts in the comments.