A happy, satisfying and successful life is not an accident! Plan for it
You must have a dream of living a happy, satisfying and successful life. The first step towards turning this dream into a reality is to accept that living a fulfilling life is not an accident, rather it calls for a lot of deliberate, sustained effort and planning. The focus of the Trust Academy Career Guidance and Counselling programme is to excite people to have a deliberate plan to succeed in life despite the setbacks. As Trust Academy we urge you not to despair but start dreaming of the “perfect job” you desire or aspire to have. Find comfort in the Biblical teachings in Job 33: 14-18, “. . . while slumbering on their (your) beds, then He (God) opens the ears of men and seals their (your) instruction”. We advise you to think of what it is you want to be in life and propel your career with a powerful qualification. We invite you to open your ears to our free career advice so that you become able to be the best person you want to be in life.
As you think about what you would like to be doing in life take note that the year 2016 was given a lot of apt names. It has been defined as the, “Year of questions”, or “Year of reward” or “Year of expansion”. These descriptions may point to the scepticism, cynicism, confusion people have with regard to giving a meaning to the happenings in their varying environments. Whether you believe literally or literary in the meanings of the apt names the fact remains that beliefs, like dreams alone will not change your life. What changes your life is your ability and purposeful thinking towards strategically taking the necessary steps to accomplish your dream. In other words turn your dreams into goals and work towards achieving your set plans. Career Planning It is unsurprising that most people are not clear or sure what career planning means or involves. Career planning, can simply be defined as the processing of deciding on a goal that you desire to achieve in a specific selected field or occupation. In addition the career planning process involves you making a deliberate and conscious decision or plan of how you want to become the person you desire to be. Career planning is a continuing process where we always learn and as we do so our interests and needs also change.
Why is it important for you to decide on a career goal?
The first obvious reason is that the process of deciding enables you to live a purposeful life. You see reason in living your life. The other reason is that deciding on a career goal helps you to focus as well as directing and motivating you to work towards accomplishing what you planned to do in your life. In addition deciding on a career goal helps you to discover your talents, abilities, skills as well as possibilities you never thought of before. Having a career goal can guide you to do what you enjoy doing in your life instead of aimlessly moving from one job to the next.
Essentially successful people set goals; they plan and religiously follow their plans. They hardly opt to follow a particular career because a friend, family member or acquaintance is happy in that field. They appreciate, much as you need to do as well, that people are different hence what works for one person may not work for the other. To succeed in life you need to develop transferable skills. These are skills which are desirable in all sectors or industries. Such skills help you to adapt to change in any sector of the economy when it comes.
How to choose the right path for yourself
Instead of asking yourself, “What job do I want to spend the rest of my life doing?” ask yourself, “What jobs don’t I want to spend the rest of my life doing?” This re-frames the decision significantly. This approach will help you avoid being stuck making one all-important decision from an overabundance of choices. It will allow you to make a multitude of smaller decisions that each easily allows you to move closer and closer to your desired career goal. You should also use time and cost effective methods that ensures that you don’t invest too heavily in exploring career options rather than narrowing down your choices quickly and with minimal effort. Seeking career guidance and even listening to the Trust Academy /Star FM Career guidance programme every Wednesday from 1030-1100am empowers you to begin progressing towards a career path instead of repeatedly racking your brain with an impossibly difficult choice. Alternatively you go to any career centre and look through their career list and guides to see if any sound like they are worth a gander.
At Trust Academy we help you all the way!
Herbert Taruwona Mbindi is passionate career guidance and counselling advisor. His key motivation is to help people make a difference in their lives. Feedback to: email mbindi@trustacademy. co.zw, WhatsApp 0773616665 or call 0712212179.