By Barbara Poole

This is the time of year when folks are fresh from making New Year’s resolutions: the laundry list of things they will start and stop, lose and gain. Many people have a tendency to bite off more than they can chew with this exercise, and fall off the wagon by the time the calendar turns to February.

Career-related matters are grist for the mill when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. “I’m going to quit my job, find a new one, start a business, take a sabbatical...” Unfortunately, as the year winds to a close, many of these people find themselves in the very same situations they were unhappy with in January, still wishing things were different, still stuck.

Regardless of whether you are craving substantial change in your career, or simply wishing you were a little more energized at the end of a long day, the beginning of the New Year is a good time to take stock of where things stand in your professional life. Knowing whether your career needs a major overhaul, or simply a minor tune-up, calls for a systematic look at where you are, where you’ve been, and where you want to be going.

Take a temperature check of your career by dividing your assessment into three areas of exploration:

Where did I go with my career in 2007? Begin by taking a look in the rear-view mirror at what happened with your career over the course of the past year:

• What did I accomplish that was joyful and fulfilling?

• How did I add value to the organization?

• What did I create or update that was fresh and innovative?

• What new learning did I experience?

• What skills did I add to my repertoire?

• What required me to stretch and grow in new directions?

• What professional relationships did I grow and develop?

• What did I do that felt reinforcing to my self-concept?

• Where did I compromise my integrity or what matters to me?

• What worked that made me proud?

• What didn’t work and left me disappointed?

• What did I really enjoy that I’d like to repeat?

• What did I do that I never want to do again?

• What will I recall as the absolute high point of 2007?

Where am I now? Since all we ever really have is the present moment, this area of inquiry is crucial. Take an honest look at how you are feeling right now about your career by asking yourself the following:

• Where am I content?

• Where am I restless?

• What is my energy level like at the end of a long day?

• What feels intriguing to me about my work now?

• What is boring about my work now?

• What is my heart telling me about my career and what’s next?

• What am I pretending not to know?

Finally, take a look at the possibilities that you can imagine going forward as you move with your career through 2008:

• What realistic opportunities exist on the horizon in my current company and/or field?

• Where would I really like to be at this time next year?

• Where is the job market headed for someone in my field?

• What new skills or knowledge do I want to grow or develop that will broaden my professional options?

• Does 2008 feel like a year for major change or moderate growth?

• If a radical re-invention is what I want for this year, what do I need to start doing right now to get started?

• How to I want my career to better complement the rest of my life this year? What will I need to do to make this happen?

Now is the time to resolve to make your career what you really want it to be in 2008. Spend time with the critical questions that will help you design your road map, and then buckle your seat belt for an exciting year ahead!

Barbara Poole is a Leadership and Career Development Coach with Charleston-based Success Builders Inc. She can be reached at CoachBarbara@SuccessBuildersInc.com.

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