Why the big but?
Is there a big but getting right in the way of what you want from your career?
Many professionals who feel stuck in their career development often stagnate because they can't get their thinking past the first post when considering where they want to go.
During the initial stages of next move planning, too many people kill off their ideas, hopes and aspirations by allowing objections and reasons why not to creep in ahead of time.
This leads to hopes being squished before they've been explored and to people either staying stuck in a job they hate or taking a new job that's below par.
I recently worked with a client who knew she wanted to move into a role that was a big step up, challenged her more and paid her better but she wasn't quite sure what that role would be.
So I asked her:
Imagine you're already six months into your ideal next role. What is it like to be there?
She then listed off all of the elements that would be fantastic to have in the new role and followed each one up with a 'but'.
"I'd be spending most of my time working at a strategic level rather than doing the do but I haven't done that before so I'm not sure I'd be able to get a role like that."
"I'd be commuting very rarely or not at all but I can't really see how that would work, living where I live."
And that's where I gently stopped her and asked her to imagine how it would be without any buts.
This time she really got into the flow of describing this new role and tonnes of insights and fresh thinking came out of her description.
Now, I'm not saying never consider the 'buts'; it's important to work through any barriers that might be in the way of you getting what you want. I'm saying allow your mind to work on considering how a situation could be without having to stop and analyse at this stage.
It's a sight to behold when someone allows themselves to think without restrictions.
What are the buts that are holding your mind back from exploring what's possible?
Try the exercise by grabbing a notepad and pen and free-writing anything and everything that comes into your head around the question you're struggling to get past.
I hope you get some lovely new insights to keep you moving forward in your career planning.